Black Oblivion
by El Reino
Summary: The flock turned against Maximum Ride for good. Six years later, she is deadly mean, and nothing you've ever seen before. Can she ever return to who she was? T for violence. Complete!
1. The beginning

**This idea popped into my head. NO i did not steal anyone's idea. Don't forget to review!!**

**Disclamer: Nope don't own MR.**

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Max POV:

My name is Maximum Ride. But I'm not the teenager you knew six years ago. I am not a leader, not a mother, and if I could I would kill those people I called my flock. I'm twenty years old, I watched Itex destroy the world I was supposed to save, and I don't give a damn about anybody except numero uno.

Now stop your crying. "Oh no! Max is different. She changed WAH!" Well boo hoo. Get over it. We all change, and I think I changed for the better. I walked down the street littered with trash, humans, and what I call the untouchables. The untouchables were people who were dying from a contagious virus transmitted by touch. Another point for Itex.

The voice had pretty much shut up when the first atomic bomb went off. I was a drug dealer now. Working with other guys trying to get by, and trying not to get on Itex's bad side. Since Itex pretty much ruled the world now. I pulled my hood up over my dreadlocks and walked to my usual corner looking for potential clients.

G. had took me in. I was a lost, messed up teenager with no family, friends, or life. My heart was broken and I didn't know what to do anymore. I wouldn't have admitted to it, but I have to satisfy all you readers that have nothing better to do.

G. is his name. No one knows his real one. He cashed in big when America crashed and importing drugs became a whole lot easier. I lived with him, ate his food, sold his drugs along with a lot of other orphans, he was the closest thing to a father I ever had. He showed me how to live on the streets, and showed me what a true family was. Not like that stupid backstabbing flock. No, this family was better. We hung together, felt each other's pain, and stood up for each other to the death. No one had ever done that for me before, not even the flock.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a punk kid walk towards me, looking around every few seconds like something was going to pop out and bite him in the butt.

_Maybe something would._

I hate new customers. Take this kid for example. He was making it obvious he was about to buy drugs and never done it before. On the streets you had to blend in. Or else you would get jumped of harassed just because he acted like an idiot punk.

"How much you want?" I asked, making him jump. Idiot.

"How much you got?" He asked. No dude, stupid question.

"No that ain't the right question. You think you are sounding all tough, but it's not your business how much I got. You come here and you tell me how much you want. Anything else and you just wasting my time. I could break your neck right here and now for that question alone. Your sounding too much like a cop and I don't deal with cops."

Hey someone had to set the boy straight.

I turned to leave. The boy jumped towards me.

"No. I'm not a cop, I swear! I just need a joint, man."

"Fine. How much you want?"

".. Uh. 50 grams?"

"Okay got the dough?"

He produced fifty bucks.

"You come over here with only fifty bucks man? I aint selling candy. I want the big bucks."

His eyes widened. "That's all I have."

I spit to the side in disgust. Now do you see why I hate new customers?

"I should snap your neck. Go away and don't show your face around here again. And if I find you snitched on me to any of the authorities you'll me waking up in Hell. You got that?"

I walked away. Time to go to another spot.

"Hey, Baby!!" Someone yelled behind me.

"I'd like some of that!!" Another voice joined in. My hands clenched in to lethal fists.

They kept on going calling after me. I wanted to kill them. Maybe I would.

"I'll rock your world, Baby!!"

That's IT!! _No_, I thought with a deadly grin on my face, _I'll rock your world_.

* * *

I stepped around the bodies and walked away. That felt good. Nobody would care about them anymore. They were just two more bodies on the street for the dogs to eat. Don't you just love this country?

* * *

The single figure waited and watched in the shadows. He was good at blending in the shadows. He watched this woman walk down the street alone. She was mean, she was hardly a shell of what she used to be, and she was dangerous. The man shook his head.

_What happened to you Max?_

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**Hey you know the deal. No reviews no more story. More reviews, more story**


	2. Orphans

**Yay! I got 15 reviews!! **

**(Clears throat) Sorry.**

**Anyway heres the next chapter you guys wanted. Hope ur happy!**

**Remember... no reviews no more story, more reviews more story!**

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**Max POV:**

I looked out into the blackness of night. I sat crouched down on the rooftop of our building. It was very late at night, but I was not tired. I never slept anymore. The memories I had tried so hard to forget always plauged me at night.

Remember that little annoying voice in my head I mentioned earlier? Well when I was still listening to it, it told me one thing over and over again. Save the world. From guess who? Itex. The same people who had turned the democracy of America to the Itexcracy. Itex-crazy. I bet the voice would be so disappointed. Good.

A noise below me shook me out of my thoughts. For a spilt second I was worried about whoever was fighting down there could see me. But I was dressed in all black, stealth mode, so they couldn't see me. Two untouchables were fighting over something…. I took advantage of my raptor eyesight so I could see better.

It was a piece of bread! They were fighting over a piece of freakin' bread! I had a half a mind to go down there and snatch the piece of bread up. Idiots.

I stood up and unfurled my wings. _Time for a night ride_.

* * *

I think there is something I haven't explained before. I'm a mutant. Now its time for you to go running up the scarred and pitted hills, screaming like a dozen others. Proclaiming to the world I am a freak. Go ahead I dare ya. But get this. Nobody will listen. Everybody is too busy trying not to die.

Anyway. I'm 2 bird, 98 human 100 killing machine.

It felt good to get my wings out. I jumped up and soared into the midnight sky letting anyone who saw me think I was just a really strange bird.

* * *

The lone figure watched as the woman took off into the night sky. Only he had seen her, seen her secret, and the key to her past. Now he had seen all he needed to see.

_Showtime. _

Following her was easy, until her poured on the speed leaving him behind. He had no hopes of following her now. The man sighed and turned back the way he came.

* * *

Man, I used to think when i could fly 200 miles was fast, now I was just flirting with 400 miles. Cheers for supersonic speed. A memory hit me before I was able to blink.

FLASHBACK 

My head felt like it was being hit by men with metal clubs. I couldn't see. Everything was white. A voice hit me causing my head to throb even more.

"You want to do _what_?!"

"Increase her speed."

"Do you know how dangerous that is? We increased her strength, reflexes, computing abilities, trained her in every martial art! With all the experiments we've done on her, I don't think she's ready!"

"Orders are orders. Director thinks she will be a valuable asset. Especially since she doesn't have any more ties to her old life….."

The voices faded, as I screamed with the pain_. Just let me die now._

END FLASHBACK

I growled going faster and faster until my wings were burning. I was falling….

_No._

I flaped my wings trying to stablize myself. I couldn't go that fast anymore tonight. I slowed down and headed back. It was going to be a long flight.

* * *

"Well you look happy!" Nohemi greeted me in the morning.

"Shut up." I poured myself a cup of coffee, leaning against the kitchen counter.

She laughed and brought her cup up to her lips. Her black hair fell against her face.

We all lived in G's house. Headquarters we called it. Everyone was loyal to G. It was important when he was a drug dealer and others were trying to get you. They had their territory, and we had ours.

Nohemi shared a room with me. She was picked up by G. when her parents had died.

"You were out late."

"Had some stuff I needed to do. Trying to see if I could get a sale that late." We all sold our drugs at night when everyone came out.

"We don't sell at three in the morning." Nohemi said incredulously. I shrugged, not wanting her to know what I really was doing last night…err morning.

I wondered how that would sound. "Well to tell you the truth I'm a bird hybrid that can go over 300 miles and hour when I put my mind to it, and I was out taking a night flight." Yeah right. Like I would tell anybody the truth.

Nohemi tossed her hair back. Her Hispanic roots were evident. "You need to lighten up." She said. "All the years I've known you, you've been the grouch of the 'family'. Come to the club with me tonight."

"No thanks." I didn't want to go. I always felt closed in. The music sucked, the people were rude, and sweaty bodies were not my idea of hot.

"Come on! Por favor!"

"Nope. Gotta work."

"Whatever." She shrugged and walked away.

* * *

It had been a slow night. I leaned against the wall and hit my head against it, trying to see if I could feel the pain. I longed for physical pain, I thirsted for it. Anything was better than the black hole burning in my chest. But before I could get far a noise caused me to turn around. It was that punk kid again. Dumb-butt.

He looked around. It was disgusting how nervous he looked.

_Uh-oh something was wrong_. I braced myself and tensed up.

I saw the kid trip and fall. _Stupid_. I suppressed the urge to laugh.

"You shouldn't be here!" I took a step towards him and savored the fear on his face. "I told you never to come here again!"

"I-I just n-need some. I'll p-pay extra."

"I'll p-pay extra." I mocked. "How much you got?"

He produced a wad of bills and I counted them in my head. Crap.

"Hand it over, now." I growled.

He handed them to me and I noticed something on his arm. It was sign for another dealer. I was going to kill this punk! Trying to fool me…

I grabbed his shirt and slammed him against the wall.

"YOU TRYING TO PLAY ME PUNK?! Huh?!" I yelled. "Well you can just go tell Johnny 'n them I am not stupid."

I punched him in the face, and blood poured from his nose. I kicked him over and over, until he was unconscious. Humans were so fragile. _Pathetic. _

I picked him up and walked to the edge of our territory. Give Johnny something to look at. Johnny was one of G. worst rivalries. He had always gotten on G., stolen his customers, and now trying to trick us. We were the ultimate gangs at worst.

Now I was leaving Johnny a little present.

_Ladies and gentlemen, please put on your seat belts we are now heading into a gang war and it's going to get a little bloody. Thank you for flying on Drug's Best airlines._

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The man watched Max drop a limp body in the middle of the street. It was time to move in. He hadn't been training all this time for nothing. 


	3. Johnny

**I honestly think this is a bad chapter. I had such a hard time concetrating so sorry if it's just a filler... Man I'm tired.**

**Disclaimer: I'm tired and have to wake up really early (in my standards) so I'm going to put this in big letters because I'm pissed for no apparent reason. I DO NOT OWN MAXIMUM RIDE!!!!**

**Nohemi- Dude, chill...**

**Me-NO!!!!!!!!!**

**(sorry...)**

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Do I really have to do this everyday? Get up, drink coffee, hang out with my bad self, sell drugs, go to bed and then start everything over again. Boring. That's why I was practically twitching when I walked into G.'s office. I wanted, no _needed_ some action.

I walked in and plopped myself on my favorite chair in the world. It was so soft and plushy. It was a butt ugly loveseat but I had grown up in this office. G. finished writing something down and looked at me expectantly.

"Wut up?"

G. was a burly South African who had come to the United States when he was a little boy. His voice was one of those that shook your insides with every word, it was so deep.

I titled my head and avoided his gaze, so I could look guilty. _Time to mess with his head._ I remember when I had turned eighteen another orphan, Michael, had made a pass at me. G. roughed him up so bad is all I could do not to laugh every time I remembered it. G. has always been protective of me when it came to guys. I wonder if I had a dad, would he do that for me?

"Well there was this guy…" I said putting the right amount of longing in my voice to throw him around the bend.

"What?!"

I smiled. "Just messing' with ya G."

"You better be." He growled. "So why did you come today? Hey…"

"What?"

"You smiled. And it wasn't a, I'm gonna kill somebody today smile." He exclaimed shocked.

"Whatever." I made sure to erase all emotion from my face. Maybe hanging around Fang had taught me something after all. No matter how twisted and idiotic that might be.

"One of Johnny's kids tried to buy from me. But I sent Johnny his kid back… unconscious of course."

G. leaned back in his chair and growled. "Now why would he do that?" He thought out loud.

"Maybe he did to see the quality of our goods. That kid couldn't buy drugs. He asked me how much I had the first time."

A million thoughts swirled in my head. Now if I could find the flush button……

"We need to get ready. Johnny is not going to like you roughing up one of his boys. Maybe pay Johnny a visit." He looked at me expectantly.

I nodded. "I'll get everyone together, Boss."

"Good."

I stalked out the door with a mission. My fingers twitched happily. _This is going to be fun._

* * *

It all started with a rock through a window. There were about twenty people who had come out of their collective holes to fight this thang with G.. There were only about eighteen people on Johnny's side. He had a lot of enemies.

G. stepped up to the invisible line marking our territories. Johnny stepped up to meet him.

"It's on." Johnny said in his extremely annoying voice of his.

"It's been on." G. smiled. He pulled up his crowbar so Johnny could see it better.

Marcus leaned towards me. "Don't leave my side little sister and you'll be safe."

Did he not know me that well after all these years? "No bro. Stay by my side and you'll be safe."

He smiled.

We watched G. and Johnny stare at each other. They both had crowbars in their hands, only G. was packing heat, too. Hey nobody said we had to play fair. Then they both lunged at each other. That was our universal signal. The two gangs rushed each other.

It was chaos. Some of us had weapons, but some of us decided to fight it out old school. It was easy. I knocked down about five of them in the first two minutes, but I had to go slow so I wouldn't hint to anybody I was close to being a mutant.

Punch. Kick. Bite. Blood. Ground. Butt. Head. Crack. Broken. Bones. Death.

Simple really. Fighting was just who I was. I was made to be a super solider and they killed for a living. I killed for life. Same thing. Everything had slowed down. I saw Nohemi bash a rock into someone's skull. Marcus looked kind of beat up but he was holding his down, beating the crap out of some weirdo. Amy was swinging her bat around to hit someone in the gut.

_You go girl_.

All this I noticed while I rammed my hand under and up into someone's chin breaking his neck.

* * *

Guess who won? G. Duh.

Now I could go home take one of those lovely shower thingies and enjoy the murder and mayhem. But my stupid life couldn't even give me that. As I walked home totally on guard my world blacked out for no apparent reason.

Crap. This sucked.

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**See i told you... not my best. Anway I'm really happy i got so many reviews!! Keep them coming.**


	4. The confrontation Part One!

**HI! Anyway I decied to update aganst my better judgement... Just kidding. Anyway this chapter is a part one... so thanks for all the reviews!! Oh and I don't mind flames!**

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Now I was pissed. I had woken up to see I was chained to a wall by my wrists. I growled. Whoever did this was going to pay! I stopped as I hear voices outside my stone door.

"Why did you chain her?" A calm voice asked. Male as far as I could tell.

"Have you seen her? Her eyes were practically red when I brought her in! You were the one who said she was dangerous anyway!" A shrill voice answered. Gender? Unknown.

"Fine, let's go in. You first."

"Oh thanks, Boss. Now I really know you have it out for me.

I heard a rattling of a lock and the door opened. The first thing I saw was a scared and scruffy looking…. guy. He looked strange with a sweatband around his forehead, and his too tight clothes.

I snickered, but I was amazed at how loud it sounded.

The guy jumped back when I snickered.

"Hey you." I said, enjoying his fear that was practically oozing off of him

His face went pale.

"Yes you."

"W-what?"

"Are you the one who chained me up?" I jerked my head towards my right hand. I made sure to keep my self looking surprised and scared.

The other man had come in by now but I was focused on the first one.

"Y-ye-s-s." He stammered.

"Why?!"

"Just to be safe. You're pretty strong."

Man this was just great! He was practically peeing in his pants! _Good job Maximum!_

"I am? Aww, that's sweet." I smiled, using all of my charm. And trust me I had a lot of it. He hesitantly smiled.

"Really?" He sounded hopeful. He stepped closer.

Ha! _Got him right where I want him._

I changed my smile into the most deadly face I could muster. "NO!" I roared. Then I sung my legs up to get his neck. "And when I get my hands on you, I swear you'll wish you died at birth. I hate getting tied up and I will show you all of my displeasure, PUNK!" I felt like frothing at the mouth just to scare him more.

He was scrambling for breath, and his face was slowly draining of color.

"You should have tied up my legs too." I cocked my head and smiled.

"Max! Stop."

That stopped me cold. I took my back off the wall and put my feet back on the ground. I knew that voice. It had haunted my dreams and thoughts for six stinking years.

I turned and looked into the eyes of the voice. I had wanted him back so bad. Now I just wanted to kill him. Fang.

"Hi Maxie."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" I struggled with the chains, trying to throw myself at him.

"Max. Please clam down." He looked at me with his black eyes.

Eyes that I would rip out.

Then I remembered my old emotions about him. He was my best friend. I could tell anything to him. I loved him! I can't believe I loved this pathetic excuse for a mutant. I wanted to throw up. My guard would fall every time he just looked at me the right way. Maybe I could use that to my advantage.

FLASHBACK

The smallest sound woke me up. I got up and looked around. The flock was gone! Then I heard the faintest of whispers.

"What should we do? Max is certainly not capable of leading us anymore. Her logic is screwed. Always has been, always will be."

Fang! Wait, what was he saying? He wouldn't ever say that about me! But what was…?

"She wouldn't let me be leader." Angel huffed. "I am a far better leader than she is! I can keep us safer than she can! She's nothing but an idiot!"

"Yea. And what's with all those stupid rules? Like she's so smart. Who even made her boss in the first place? She's so annoying. Everything is about her, her, her. She never does do what we want to do." Nudge.

I heard a murmur of agreement. What?! Time to stop this.

I yawned and pretended I had just woken up. I scrambled around, looking for the flock.

"Fang, Nudge? Angel! Iggy, Gazzy?!" I hissed. "Where are you guys?"

"Over here." Fang called.

"What are you guys doing over here you almost gave me a heart-"

I stopped when I saw their faces. I saw hate. It scared me.

"Guys?"

"We don't want you anymore. You're nothing than a stupid whore. We think it's time for you to leave." Fang said in his deadly voice that he usually used for erasers.

"What? Okay guys that's enough."

Iggy got up and walked towards me. Then he punched me in the gut.

"We want you to leave. Now."

_**They are not kidding Max.**_

_What's going on voice?_ I was panicked. I loved my flock. What were they saying?

_**GO before you get hurt!**_

I didn't need to be told twice. I ran off with tears streaming down my face. My heart bleeding.

END FLASHBACK

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**I kind of rushed but it's pretty good I think, anyway look out for part two!**


	5. Part two

**Well... this is looong chapter. I just ha to get everything out of my head... so review, and tell me what you think.**

**Diclaimer: I think we all know that I dont own MR?**

**Well honestly you guys.. I'm kind of getting tired of Fax... So I'm going to try something new... Just a warning.**

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"Oh Fang!" I felt tears run down my face. _Perfect. I should have been an actor._

"Fang is that really you? I've missed you and-" I started bawling and looked at the floor, supposedly not able to meet his eyes with the sorrow that plagued me.

Guys, if any of you are in need of an actress, give me a call. I work for food, and hot showers!

I sensed Fang walk up to me then he crouched, because I had crumpled to the floor, finishing off the act. He lightly took my chin and brought it up so we were face to face. His face was inches from mine.

"Is it really you?" I whispered.

He smiled. "Yes. I've missed you Max." The emotion in his voice shocked me. This was Mr. Emotionless for goodness sakes!

But before I could speak soft lips were placed on mine. Nuh-uh! Did he think he could shatter my heart, kidnap me, chain me, and then kiss me as if nothing had ever happened? NOPE! Sorry buddy. Rage swelled in me and I couldn't continue this charade anymore.

I launched myself and placed my feet on his cheat pushing with all my might. His face was still contorted with shock as he hit the wall. I looked at the first guy who whimpered and crawled to Fang's side. Fang lifted his head and looked at me.

"See the thing is. I'm not the Max you knew six years ago." I pulled my right hand, tearing the chain right out of the wall. I repeated it with my left hand. The two men looked at me with shock on their faces.

I rubbed hands as I continued. "When you told her to leave you killed her right then. I'm the new and improved Max. The School saw to that." Fang's eyes widened. "I would stay and kill you, but I have to go home, before my family starts to worry."

I saw Fang's eyes get even bigger when I said family.

With that I unfurled my wings and launched straight up and broke through brick to the sky.

* * *

I walked into the door at G.'s house to get ambushed by a big hug.

"Max!" Nohemi squealed. "Everyone, Max's here!"

"Okaay, you can let me breathe now." I chuckled.

"Oh sorry." Nohemi peeled herself off me as I heard people clomping down the stairs.

G. rushed over to me and gave me hug. "Don't ever do that to me again! We thought you had been jumped by one of Johnny's guys. Marcus and Amy are out there looking for you!"

"Sorry G. I hadn't eaten all day, and I passed out." I lied. "I'm really hungry."

G. nodded, knowing I was lying, but he didn't push the issue. He knew I would tell him when the time was right.

"Well then come eat then!" G. herded me to the kitchen. I didn't worry about G. finding out about my wings. He already knew about them, and he knew my appetite.

"So how's thing going with expanding into Johnny's old territory?" I asked between bites.

"Surprisingly good. In fact I was thinking about putting you in charge of that section."

I choked. But before I could protest, the front door opened.

"Sorry, Boss. We couldn't find her." Marcus called with regret in his voice.

Marcus and Amy walked into the kitchen. I sat there still wolfing down my food. They would see me when they see me. Now all I was worried about was filling my stomach. Amy saw me first.

"Max!" She ran up and hugged me neck, causing food to go down the wrong pipe.

I went into a coughing fit trying to get the food out of my lungs. "Hi to you too." I rasped doubled over.

"Oh my God! Max I'm so sorry!" Amy exclaimed.

I held up my hand and with on last cough I spit out my bread.

"Gross." Nohemi complained.

I straightened and looked at my family. Nohemi looked at me with her big brown eyes. Amy's hair was mostly orange, and her green eyes peered out behind a smattering of freckles. Marcus looked at me with a grin on his face. His hair was dark brown, with slight waves in it. His blue eyes sparkled.

"Nice. Do you have a habit of choking up food or is it a new hobby?" Marcus asked me with an amused smile.

"Shut up." I straightened and popped the food back in my mouth. Petite Amy and Nohemi groaned. Hey, I'm not wasting any food.

"I have a proposal for Max!" Nohemi said.

I groaned. "What?!"

"Come to the club with us. Everyone will be there. Michal is going to be the DJ tonight, and he always plays the best."

Why did this girl always like to go to the club? "Fine." I groaned. Just to get this morning's incidents out my head.

Nohemi grinned, I was dreading this.

* * *

I brushed by Marcus in the hallway a few hours later.

"Hey." He said.

"Hmm?" I turned.

"Are you okay? You seem madder than usual."

"Thanks." I said with tons of sarcasm. "No big bro, seriously I'm fine. Okay?"

"Okay. Just making sure. I'm glad you're back."

"Yea I just couldn't drop off the face of the earth like you wanted huh? I just had to came back and bother you." I smiled.

He smiled. For some reason he was nervous. Why? I watched him as he ran his hand through his hair. Okay….?

I shrugged and walked off. Nohemi came up and whispered in my ear.

"He totally digs you."

_Joy. (Note the sarcasm!)_

_

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_**Cringing...bring on the flames... that chapter was horrible wasn't it? Oh and don't worry! Fang and the flock are coming back in the next chapter. So reveiw if you want more!**


	6. Clubbing and well clubs

**Well, at this rate i'm updating a chapter a day. Happy now? Oh thank you to all those people who reviewed and made me think. **

**Disclaimer: I'm not gnna do this anymore. I do not own Maximum Ride. Got it? Good.**

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My mind was swirling. The cool steel on my wrists. The stone walls, floor, ceiling, he put me in a freaking dungeon! I was so going to get the son of a-

"Max?" Nohemi knocked on my door.

"Come in."

Nohemi walked in with a big smile on her face. Her high heels clacked on the stained wood floor. "I can't believe your actually coming with us!"

"Yeah, yeah don't rub it in."

I put on my tennis shoes. Then got off the lumpy mattress and stood up. I turned for her inspection. I was wearing a slightly baggy t-shirt, and jeans. Hey, nobody ever said I had to dress up.

"You are going out like THAT?" Nohemi spit out like I was suffering from brain damage or something.

"Yeah? So?" I thought I looked okay. Anyway tight shirts were taboo with my wings.

"Nope."

"What?!" Grr, she just had to be fashion police today. "I agreed to go to the club, what more do you want?"

"No girl. You got to show off that pretty little body tonight. Anyway Marcus will be there." Nohemi pushed me into a chair in front of my mirror.

"Like I care. Anyway I don't want to show off my body." Especially not with those big things I call wings on my back!

"Nope. Here." And with that Noehmi started playing with my hair.

_Great. I'm this big, strong mutant and I can't even get this tiny girl off my back. I'm losing my touch._

* * *

I sighed and looked at myself in the mirror. My hair was falling down my back all the way to my waist, effectively covering my wings. Thank God. Nohemi had forced me into a turquoise blouse, with transparent sleeves that had hooks to go over my thumbs. She let me keep my jeans, but she made me put on blue flip-flops.

"There. You don't look so bad! Now for the makeup…"

"No." I said when Nohemi came at me with a blush brush.

Those things were lethal. Stick the handle in the eye or windpipe and you have extreme pain coming to you.

"Fine. You look gorgeous anyway! Come on lets go."

At the last second I grabbed my hoodie. Might need it.

* * *

We walked side by side on the alert. There was a lot of danger on the streets. Whether it was Itex randomly storming your neighborhood taking people for random reasons, or guys crazy for a 'new experience', or untouchables.

We saw an Itex officer beat an old man to his death, for accidentally bumping into him. Nobody cared. This was life now. Deal with it. An untouchable begged for food as we walked by. Nohemi handed him a piece of bread.

"Excuse me Miss?" A little girl tugged on my shirt.

I turned to see a dirty brunette girl.

"Yes?"

"Do you have any food to spare?"

I nodded and handed the girl a piece of cheese. Then I handed her a chocolate bar. "Don't let your dad see the chocolate okay?"

She nodded and ran off. Her dad made her beg for food, and then took it all for himself. _Poor kid._ See? I still have heart.

* * *

The club was crowded and noisy as always. The beat thumped in my ears as sweaty bodies pressed in on all sides. I ran to the tables, where there wasn't that many people there and took a deep breath. After I ordered a beer I sat down alone.

Have I ever told you my thing about alcohol? I can't get drunk. So I could down that nasty brown liquid all I wanted and not suffer from the consequences the next morning. I was on my second one when I felt someone behind me.

"Hello Fang." I pretended that he just popping behind me didn't bother me at all.

I stood up and looked at him. He had two other guys with him. One was very light skinned with blond hair, and the other one looked like a teenage with one big cowlick in his hair.

"Hi Gasman, Iggy."

I looked at Iggy only to be shocked. He was looking right at me. He could see. _Oh great._

"What do you want?" I asked, my voice deadly.

With that they came at me. Nope ain't gonna work.

Everything slowed down as I threw my self into a roundhouse kick, contacting with Fang's head. I couldn't help it I smiled. Then I raised my hand up to block a punch from Iggy, grabbing his arm and using the momentum to knee him in the stomach. The Gasman was staying back, waiting for an opening.

Just as well. People stopped dancing to look at us. I was going fast, so fast I was a blur. Fang and Iggy couldn't keep up. I saw Marcus and Nohemi push to the edge of the crowd.

Fang righted himself after I kicked him in the stomach. Before he could blink I punched him in the nose, satisfied after I heard it break. I turned and blocked a punch from Iggy and pulled him forward and elbowed him in the spine, knocking him out. Two hands circled around my neck choking me. I backed up and slammed Gazzy into the wall. The strobe light flashed right in tune to my heart.

Fang got up off the floor and walked towards me. "We need you Max. You are our only hope to defeat Itex. Will you join us?"

"Never." I growled.

I grabbed Gazzy's hands and elbowed him in the stomach, breaking his grip. I threw him at Fang.

"Get out of here."

Fang shrugged and picked Iggy up. Then extending his big back wings and broke through the plaster, to the sky. Gazzy waved then followed.

I wiped my bleeding lip. "Talk about dramatic exits."

Nohemi and Marcus ran towards me. I bypassed them and grabbed my hoodie. I had to get out of here.

"Max wait!"

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**Yay! Little, small, tiny,cliffe! Anyway I'll update later. My mom is getting on my back to do something else with my life.**


	7. Cuss words

**Here it is folks! The probaly shortest chapter I will publish in my fanfiction life time. I have gotten this to you only because I am being sneaky and not taking a shower like my mom thinks i am... So here's to you because you people reviewed. Oh and more tommorrow!**

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(Insert the worse curse word you can think of here, 'cause everyone knows that I am.)

I had to get out of here. I didn't know what to think, or feel. But feelings are for sissies who have nothing better to do. I wasn't one of them. I needed to get out. I needed to go to my rooftop, stretch my wings, and vent my anger in the only way I know how. Fly at speeds up to four hundred miles an hour.

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Like I said before, my life doesn't give me anything I want. I was just about to let myself loose in a good secluded area, when someone just had to follow me.

"Max."

_Crap!_

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**He he he that was short... (car drives up) Shoot!! I got to go!**


	8. yay

**hi im back! anyway so... ummm... sorry if i havent answered your reviews, homework sucks. Thanks for reviewing... I can't think it's 1:11 and my brain is fried. Sorry if its a bad chap.**

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Crap! Why can't anyone leave me alone? I don't care if you care about me, or if I'm important, or if I'm supposed to save the world. I just want to be left alone. Let's say that all together now, "Alone…"

I turned around and saw Marcus walk towards me. My anger subsided at little bit. He walked towards me in that loping way of his. A scream penetrated my eardrums throwing me back six years.

FLASHBACK 

_Light, bright light. Can't feel arms. Need to move. Bleeding. Cutting. Life. Sore. Family. Die. Coward. School. Death. Just kill me now._

_Is this what going crazy feels like?_

_What does going crazy feel like? Of course you would never know in a stupid school, being run by crazed scientists. I am not Maximum Ride anymore. I am experiment A29409A52, soldier, warrior, hybrid. I have a card that says so._

"A29409A52. Today is the day you become extraordinary if I do say so myself." A whitecoat chuckled.

_Can't move. Sonova… _Blackness_…_

END FLASHBACK

"Max."

Someone was speaking. I was so wrapped up in my past I couldn't even remember where I was. I needed to get a grip. Someone put a hand on my arm, and it was like they had dumped cold water on me. I jerked, ready to fight.

I looked up and saw Marcus with the same look on his face. Concerned. To me it was a waste. But something stopped me from lashing out. Maybe it was his gorgeous eyes…

Wait… back up! Did I just say gorgeous? Man, I am out of it. I shook off Marcus's hand and walked towards the edge of the building.

"Are you okay?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" I locked my eyes on an orange glow in the distance.

"Well you just got into a fight, you run off, and now you look like you are very close to hurling yourself off the edge. More than any human can handle."

What was he saying? I stiffened, subconsciously tucking my wings in closer to my body.

"So? I can deal with more than expected, get over it." I shrugged to exaggerate my point. The wood under me creaked.

"I know where you came from."

"My mother." I knew what he meant but I couldn't give anything away. All of a sudden I didn't trust Marcus anymore. He was hinting he knew my secret. Nope, the wings were private, and they are going to stay that way.

"Max. Look at me." Marcus' voice was firm.

I sighed and turned around. There was Marcus standing there, (I bet you are saying "Yea, so?") with his wings stretched out his full nineteen foot wingspan. Bet you didn't expect that huh? Well neither did I.

On one side I was beating myself up for being an idiot and not noticing his wings before. On another side I was wary because he could have been a spy for Fang, or even Itex. Itex wanted me pretty bad too.

"Ooh, you got wings. Yay." I said unenthusiastically.

I cocked my head. I was surprised but I would never let that show. His wings were beautiful. They were black that had a blue sheen to them. He had one of the biggest wingspans that I had ever seen. Well now that I knew he was a hybrid that explained some of the things that I had noticed along the years. Like why he was taller than me, had the same appetite, and other things. Was I that dense that I had never even thought of this possibility before?

Marcus frowned.

"There is one thing you missed." I said. My brain refused to function. It was probably the beer talking. "Maybe I don't want to use mine right now." I let myself off the edge. I don't know why I plunged off the building, maybe I just wanted to escape it all. But as I said before, life never listens to me.


	9. Knight in shining armor sadly

**La la la la. (turns and sees audience) Oh... So anyway here is more to soothe you after that little cliffe. My brain was so fried I didn't even realise it was a cliffhanger to laugh about it. So I'm laughing now. HA HA HA!! Okay I'm done on with story.**

**Thanks to.. Angelz on Edge, WFF, skyflyer81310, Argetlamgirl, SilverwingedShadow, EdwardAnthonyIsMyHero, hahahehe7, chronoluvr113, Maximum Ride all the way, Jacky06, Stockings, littleface95, maxride08, The Cio, XIII Dragon, snowy ashes, dreamtofly, some-random-ppl, fg, cat-head21++, Beth.M.H., angelz-in-heaven, EVIL-max, ss, bibliocrazed, aviator301.. I think thats it.. sorry if i missed you.**

**Okay... I'm really done now...**

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I enjoyed the blackness when I closed my eyes. I mean, how many people want to be watching when they are plunging to their deaths? Not me. That's why I closed my eyes. The air rushed in my ears.

If Fang was looking for me, then it could only mean something colossal is happening with Itex. And if he was looking for me then Itex would be close behind. It's funny how immediate death makes you think…

But someone up there decided that I wasn't going to die by my body going splat on the trash riddled pavement below. I groaned, putting my hands over my face as I felt myself being lifted up by surprisingly strong arms. Why did I have to have a knight in shining armor? Why couldn't people just let me die? Why did people have to care for me?

_You are special Max._

Great. The voice was back.

"People are going to see your wings. Tuck them in now." I said angrily. Even if I was mad at him for saving me, I couldn't let him advertise our location.

"You almost died." Marcus said incredulously.

Duh.

"Please do me a favor." His voice almost sounded pleading.

"What?"

"Don't ever do that again." Now his voice was firm.

Something in his voice just made me have to agree. "Fine I won't throw myself off a really high building again."

I opened my eyes as Marcus set me down in a dark alleyway. Stars were blocked out except for one or two stragglers. I turned to face him.

"Thank you."

"So do you have any more powers?" I grinned.

Marcus grinned back.

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**Yay! Another chapter done, another chap coming only if you review!!!**


	10. invisiblity

**Hey ya'll sorry if there are any typos i have to go and my dad is on my butt for lights out...**

**Review.. yada... yada.. yada**

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He didn't know why Fang had sent him to watch Max again. He was still freaked out from when she had shot through the ceiling. The thing was made of pure, freakin' stone, and she flew through it like it was cardboard. But Fang did save him from Itex.

Something caught his eye. Max had thrown herself off the building. He groaned and punched the brick wall. His hand felt like it was broken but he didn't care. They couldn't use her dead!

But wait. Someone had dived in and lifted Max back up bridal style. It was a man by what he could tell. So Max had a knight in shining armor. Perfect. The lone man set a radio to his lips.

"Fang…" Static…

"What?!"

A triumphant smile crossed his lips. "I have spotted the subject."

"Good. Stay where you are."

The man set down the radio to see a dirty kid walk up to him.

"Hey! Can I have your radio?"

* * *

Uh-oh. When you live with someone for a few years you learn all their looks. And the grin Marcus was giving me meant that something was going down. It was his evil grin face… RUN FOR THE HILLS!

I watched as Marcus slowly faded out of focus. What just happened? It was like "now you see me now you don't" kind of things.

"Marcus?" I waved my hand through the empty space where his body used to be.

"Boo!" A voice came from behind me.

I jumped. I couldn't help it. I turned and gave Marcus a death glare as he materialized in front of me.

A growl radiated from my throat. "Don't ever do that again." I commanded to the hysterical Marcus.

He was doubled over laughing. "I….loved…. the… l-look on… y-your face!"

"Shut up." I crossed my arms.

Marcus straightened. His laugher subsided, but I could tell he was laughing at me from the inside. Fine, if that's what he wanted I will give him something to laugh at. Time to show him how messed up I am. I mean I threw myself off a building a minute ago. I must be emotionally unstable right?

_Time to bring on Maximum Ride, the actor._

"I can't believe you!" I screamed, tears streaming.

_Man, I am good!_

"You would do that to me?! I thought…" A few arm movements, and dramatically turning and walking away from him clinched the mood.

I sobbed loudly. I heard Marcus jog towards me.

"Max! Max, I'm sorry I didn't mean…" He grabbed my shoulder and turned me towards him.

I couldn't keep this face any longer. With tears streaming down my face I started laughing. I got him good. He was really concerned.

"I got you good!" I cackled.

He nodded as soon as the shock wore off. "Yes you did."

Voices caused me to sober up. Iggy, Gazzy, Fang.

"Fang…" I faced Marcus. "The guys at the bar." Marcus nodded.

He pulled me into a hug and all of a sudden I could see through him. I raised up my hand. I couldn't see it.

_Awesome… _

Their footsteps got closer.

"Where is she?" Iggy came into view.

"I don't know! L. D. said they were right here!" The Gasman exclaimed.

"Well how can they disappear?"

"I don't know."

I saw Fang come out from the end of the alley. "Where is she?"

"Don't know." Iggy answered.

Fang swore. "How could we lose her?! Do you know how valuable she is? Especially after she escaped from the school? She tore the thing down!" He sighed and signaled to leave.

From what I know from Fang, he doesn't give up that easily. So what had made him turn around instead of searching the area? Something wasn't right. I waited for a few minutes perfectly content in Marcus' arms…? Whoa! Uh no.

I poked him in the side and wriggled out of reach. I checked my hand. I could see it. Good sign. I was about to say something but something whizzed by my ear. So that's where Fang had gone. I watched as a dart struck Marcus in the chest. He looked at me shocked, then passed out.

Now I was pissed. Why couldn't people just leave me alone? Why…?!

_Watch out Max_.

Oh great. The voice. When I find out just who is behind that I will strangle them, I promise you. But all the same I turned around and with my wicked awesome reflexes, (compliments of the School) I caught a dart five millimeters away from my neck. I scanned the area. The darts were coming from high up so my best shot would be run for cover. I was a sitting duck here. Night or no night.

So I ran. I can run pretty fast let me tell you. But whoever was shooting those things were shooting them rapid fire. I felt one hit my neck, as the tranquilizer kicked into effect. I kept running but I could feel it seeping into my muscles slowing me down. I resisted with all of my might. Something like a faint whispered hit my ears.

"That was enough to take down an elephant!"

Ha ha! Max Ride the elephant hybrid.

Another dart hit my lower back. Crap. My body slowed and my vision became hazy. I said hello to the darkness and submitted. Good-bye.

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	11. New hybrid?

**I'm baaack! It's only been like what a few hours..? Anyway here is chapter 11 and I have it in Fang Pov. Hey I was wondering... how many of you would just hate me if I killed off Marcus? You wouldn't have to hate me... i mean how many of you would be mad at me seriously?**

**Review if you don't want him to be killed off and tell me how you like this chap... Enjoy!!!**

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Fang landed and swung his gun over his shoulder. Max had gotten away last time because he was unprepared. When Jeb had told him that the school had… well upgraded her, Fang thought maybe a little new power. Not Max 7.0. He walked over to the spot where she was doing a face plant in the asphalt. He stopped and waited for Iggy and Gazzy to catch up.

They came from separate directions, with their guns slung over their shoulders' in the same fashion as their leader. Iggy bent down and turned Max so that she was lying on her back. Fang gazed down at her, studying her features. Even in the darkness she was beautiful. Different than six years ago, more mature, and she had a little scar across her cheek, but that only added to her beauty.

Fang shook his head clearing his thoughts and brought his gaze back to his 'brothers'. They had never anticipated how their flock would struggle in Max's absence. But all the same they stuck together and missed Max. Fang whished that he had gotten his rebelliousness under control…. _But that was in the past. This is now._

"Say hello to Maximum Ride." Fang let a grin grace his face for a second before tucking it away in the blackness of his mind.

Iggy shook his head. "That whore was hard to catch. I must have let five darts into her."

Fang bent down and turned Max over again so that she was in her original position. He had forgotten to pull the darts out before she was turned over. Now the darts had dug deeper into her flesh making the entry points bleed. He carefully pulled them out. There were about eight, enough to kill as many elephant bulls. (**A/N: Those are what the males are called.)** But Max was always a fighter.

Fang tossed his gun to Gazzy and picked Max up, throwing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. All of a sudden a noise made the three of them turn their head to the part of the alleyway facing the street. A petite woman was running towards them with a deadly look on her face.

"What. Are. You. Doing. With. Max?" She asked venom dripping with every word.

Fang sighed. He did so not need this. A human attacking a hybrid was not smart. "Lady, don't be a hero."

The woman growled and before he knew it she had hit Iggy under his chin with the flat of her hand. Then in a blur she got him with a roundhouse kick to his head, knocking him down.

"I ain't a lady." She stepped back, facing the men.

Something in her eyes unnerved Fang as she focused on him. The image kind of reminded him of when Angel was controlling someone's mind. All of a sudden, fire erupted on Iggy's shirt, Fang's pants, and Gazzy's _hair. _The woman smiled.

Fang dropped Max and rolled on the ground putting out the fire, since it had rained a little while ago. Iggy did the same, and Gazzy stuck his head in a puddle. If it was another time he would have laughed at the sight. He jumped up, immediately getting into his fighter stance. The petite woman started rushing Fang but jerked violently and fell to the ground. Two darts were sticking out of her arm.

Fang turned to face the direction of the darts. A frazzled looking man ran up, dart gun in hand. Even though he still looked like an adolescent Fang knew how dangerous he could be.

_Good 'ol L.D._

Fang turned to face his brothers. They had gotten up and were looking at Fang expectantly.

"Take both of them and let's go." He ordered. Fang wanted to get out of there as quickly as he could.

"What about the guy?" Iggy jerked his head towards a third body on the ground.

Fang shrugged. "Sure, he might be valuable." Fang picked up back again stretched his wings and took off.

L.D. was carrying the petite woman since he was the smallest. Iggy had the man slung over his shoulder, and The Gasman was carefully slinging the four dart guns over his shoulder. Fang nodded his approval and turned towards home.

_Time to use Max 7.0 to our advantage._

_

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_

**Remember review if you dont want Marcus to die... **

**Marcus walks in eating a donut. "What?"**

**"Nothing..."**


	12. Suicide Can it be?

**Okay im sorry this is short but my mom is getting on my butt... She wanted to put some parent gaurdian thingy so I couldn't chat anymore... Last time I checked this was online stories not a chat room... Anyway I will update when I can...**

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What would you say if I said I wanted to kill myself? No I'm not suicidal. But I bet most of you out there would be prodding me towards the gates of hell, pushing me on to do it. A permanent problem to a temporary solution…

So as I looked around my nice stone cell, where my imbedded shackles restricted my arms and legs from moving, and I saw Nohemi and Marcus on either side of me pinned to the wall, spread eagle as I was, something snapped. I wanted to cry, I wanted to step outside and kill whoever had put me in here. Unwanted emotions were flowing through me. I hated emotions. So I shut myself down and focused on only one emotion I could identify.

Anger. Hatred. They surged through me and gave to me a numbness I had come to appreciate. Now I bet you're trying to call on your broken telephones to get me in the loony bin. Maximum Ride has finally lost her marbles (whatever that means). But I got new flash for you. Phones don't work anymore. Itex thought telephone of any kind was too much freedom for the average human to handle… Oops.

I struggled against the shackles that looked like they had been pounded into the wall. I guess Fang didn't want me to escape again. I would say the word I was repeating over and over in my head, but I bet half of you sissies would be shocked that their hero from way back when, knew such a word.

_Calm down Max. You could hurt yourself._

Just as the voice said that I felt a warm liquid on my wrists. _Too late! _I retorted with mock cheerfulness. Since damage was done it wouldn't hurt to struggle more.

_Stop it!_

_NO!_

I stopped as the door to my cell opened. Guess who walked in? Little Miss Mind Reader in the flesh. Angel.

Now I'm going to say that word... Brace yourselves.

_Shit!_

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**Gasp! Max said a bad word... faints Oh review!!!!!!!!!**


	13. Beastie

**Yay!!! I got to update... Oh and thanks to everybody who reviewed!!!! Here is your reward!! I'm hyper...**

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I should have said another word. Another worse than that, but I don't want to give you heart attacks just yet. You wouldn't understand my great displeasure at seeing that little two-faced, idiot, six-year-old... Wait she must be about twelve now.

An evil grin spread across my face. She was old enough for me to have a little bit of fun with her.

_Max, no. She's still a child._

_Shut up!!_

I stared straight at Angel. To say the least she had grown up. Her hair was cut to her shoulders, her big blue eyes dug straight into mine. She cocked her head trying to get into mine. I mimicked her, thankful that I knew how to block it. A frown came across her beautiful features...

_Yes!!_

Angel opened her mouth to speak. "I don't like when you do that."

Anger to Angle mixed with my anger to this situation. It is a deadly combination. Who was she to be a spoiled brat on me?

"Do what?" I asked innocently. My face was the picture perfect example of ignorance. I was having fun!

"Block your mind from me. You don't have to do that you know. I love you." Angel said, matching my tone of voice.

I straightened my neck. "You do?" I acted like that was the best news I could ever hear. Inside I was barfing my brains out.

Angel smiled. "Yes. So does Fang, Iggy, Nudge, and the Gasman."

My face became hard. "So why did they send you in to interrogate me?" My voice sharp. Angel was taken aback by this transformation.

She caught herself in time to not let her real shock show.

"He just wants to know if you're okay."

My face softened into a grin. "He does?"

"Yes."

"Do you really want to read my mind, Baby?" I used the nickname I used to call her when I believed she still loved me and everything was going to be all right.

_Was I really that stupid?_

_No that wasn't stupid at all. They do want to help you._

_Oh great. Now I need help._

"Max?"

"Huh?"

"I said yes."

"Oh. Okay."

Silly girl. She should have turned it down when she got the chance. I flooded my mind with images of: Itex, of the school, of the white light that haunted my dreams and daydreams, my scars, my pain, my anger. I focused and didn't let her stop reading my mind. I saw a single tear run down her cheek, then another, and another. Is it just me or were they making the hybrids more fragile these days?

I mean I had to live with this. Angel wanted to see this stuff. It's not my fault.

"Max, please..."

"Please what?" I growled.

_No Mercy!!_ My head was screaming. But something from long ago was poking me, telling me I did not need to do this. I looked at Angel who was now on her knees sobbing. She couldn't leave. As long as I was focusing on her, she couldn't move. She was frozen.

I wanted to feel guilt for her, but I remember how my heart had been pounded into dust because of her. Of them. Slowly I found my anger fading and Angel got up and ran out of the room. I was surprised at how much energy had been sapped out of me. I was rolling my neck on my shoulders as an enraged Fang ran into the room, and he was beyond mad. How do I know? He was showing it on his face.

"What did you do that for?!" He raged.

I kept myself cool. "What?"

"You know what you did! She's just a kid!"

I shrugged. "She wanted to look into my mind. I let her. No biggie." Now guilt was consuming me.

Stupid emotions.

He paced the room as I kept my face blank. Then all of sudden he walked up with a flashlight in his hand. I looked down at him with a curious expression on my face.

He shined it into my eyes.

White light. Now he has done it. That was the last conscious thought I thought. I felt myself separate from my body. He had called out the beast. Everything became tinted with red. If Fang thought I was evil, he would not be able to classify the beast that roared inside of me.

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**I was going to go on but I have to get into the shower now... Ha ha... you get a cliffie!!!**


	14. Meet Fang

**I really have to go...! sorry 4 any mistakes or anything...**

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Beastie meet Fang. Fang meet Beastie. Just to clear stuff up, I cannot control "the beast". All I can do is clap and cheer for it. That's what I was doing as Beastie growled forcing Fang to take a step back.

Ha! Fang got scared. Fang got scared… I sang in my head.

All of a sudden Beastie jerked, and I swiveled to see what she was doing. She was trying to get out of the shackles. Good luck.

"Max. It's hopeless. Give it up. Just calm down and we will talk okay?"

Fang turned back into Mr. Emotionless, except his voice was deadly. It was the same tone he used for those pathetic Erasers way back when.

I felt my mouth open, but I wasn't the one talking. "I'm not Max." It growled in a low gravely voice that was sooo not my own. I knew I didn't sound like an animal.

But what was this? The only times I had turned into Beastie when I got triggered by the white light. A flashback hit me.

FLASHBACK

I was struggling on the operating table which I had become accustomed to over the year? Month? Days? I didn't know anymore.

_They can't chain me up like this forever._

No they couldn't. I was stronger than this. I was a freakin' hybrid. They were puny geeky humans. I felt anger build up in me. The anger that had become my friend in this godforsaken place wrapped me in its loving arms.

I felt myself drifting away from my body. I was struggling but it wasn't me. Everything turned red as I watched the whitecoats' expressions turn from that of curiosity to shock to fear. I heard myself laugh. But it wasn't my laugh. It was animal laughter.

Kool.

I watched as the thing broke the leather bonds and threw various whitecoats against the walls.

One whitecoat raised his head and groaned, "Maximum Ride. Experiment 820920. Stop…"

The thing chuckled and looked down at the pitiful whitecoat. "I'm not Max." Then it cracked the whitecoat's neck.

Ooo, that gotta hurt.

END FLASHBACK

**Marcus POV:**

Everything hurt. I turned my head to look to my right, and got a face plant in a gray stone. The walls looked like someone had gotten hunk or rocks and just dumped them there. I shook my head of the dizziness that started to plague me and turned to my left. I saw Max, chained up to the wall like I was, only being held up by the shackles aroung her feet.

"I'm not Max." She growled.

Okay that doesn't sound like Max. I saw the guy she was staring at take a step back. Don't mess with her bro. She is just going to kick your a-

_Marcus…_

I looked beyond Max and saw Nohemi look at me. Since she was an experiment thing she had some kind of telepathy and we could communicate with our minds.

_Yeah?_

_This is not good._

_No duh. Hey can you spring me loose?_

She nodded at turned forward with a focused look on her face. I smiled. We never found out what kind of hybrid she was, but she could do all sorts of thins with her mind. You name it she can do it. Although she didn't have wings like me, Nohemi could kick my butt anytime. But you didn't hear that from me.

I heard someone talk and turned my head to the man in the room. He had dark hair, and black eyes.

"Max. Now calm down. It is okay." He dropped what looked like a flashlight on the floor.

"How many times do I have to tell you idiot? I'm not Max. They call me Beast." She smiled in a deadly grin. Uh-oh.

Then she paused and looked at her bonds. "How dark ages."

Beast sucked in air and in one swift move she pulled out her ankle shackles. Wow that girl was strong. All the reason I love her so much… you know in the friendly way… But wait was it Max or this beast thing?

The man's eyes widened. "How did you…?"

"You underestimated Max and me, Idiot."

Beast tore her hands out of the wall and proceeded to walk towards the man in a deadly manner. Blood was pouring from her wrists and ankles. I struggled. Max was going to go ballistic. And it's very messy.

_Nohemi! Get me out now!_


	15. For Max

**Okay I think my mom is calling someone to ask about computer obessions or something but I wanted to at least put this in here so you could at least have something to whet your whistle while your waiting for the next full chap... Thnx to all who reviewed.**

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Beast's anger welled up. The scientists thought she was a killer. But she didn't want to be. She had to. For Max's survival. For her own.

Beast used to watch Max go along with her daily life. She felt her pain. When Max cried she cried. When Max was happy Beast was happy that Max was. Only Beast fully felt the extent of Max's pain. Only she had to deal with the crying and the depression and the anger when the flock betrayed her. Now Beast was out for vengeance.

Beast did not want Max to hurt anymore. To feel pain. To die inside every time she thought about the flock. Now as she stared into the one called Fang's eyes, Beast felt a righteous anger for Max. Beast walked over and picked up the pathetic hybrid by the neck, squeezing his breath out.

This was and would always be for Max.


	16. Max Likes You!

**Okay so I had just enough time to fit this in. I first want to apologize because I personally feel this is a really crappy chapter... But hey at least I updated. So here's how it goes...**

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Marcus POV:

I watched as Max… uh err, Beast grabbed the man by the neck and lifted him about five feet off the ground.

"This is for Max." The Beast said. "You almost killed her. Now I am the one keeping her alive." She tilted her head to the side. "Max wants me to kill you. But I have to keep her alive right now." And with that Beast threw the man aside as if he was a piece of paper.

Anger flared through me. If that guy had hurt Max in any way I was going to kick his sorry excuse for an a-.

_Yo, Bro!_

_Huh? _I turned my attention to Nohemi.

_Chains. _Was all she said.

I heard a popping noise and suddenly I was falling to the ground. I caught myself right in time before I kissed the floor. I coughed.

_Hey. Feet._ It was all I could do not to cry in agony at the fact my ankles were still stuck to the wall.

_Oops._

_OOPS MY BUTT! Get me out of these things before Max goes ballistic._

_You mean Beast._

_NOHEMI!_

_SORRY!!_

I turned to look at Max. She was punching the wall with a mighty fury. I knew even a hybrid couldn't break that thick of stone. I panicked when I saw blood on her knuckles ignoring my own pain. If she was hurting I wanted to be there for her. Brotherly instinct and all…

With two pops I jumped up. I was regretting that decision when all the blood decided to rush to my head at that very moment. _Whee… pretty colors._ I heard footsteps in the hallway. This was not good. I ran over to Max and caught her elbow right as she was about to swing.

"Don't do this to yourself." I pleaded.

An older man with a receding hairline ran in. "Code Alpha-Delta-5-2-9-82! Stop!" He yelled.

_What is he going on about?_

The beast cocked her head at me, ignoring the weird commands. Then she smiled an animalistic grin. "Max really likes you."

That stopped me. What?! Then with a lot of force she pushed me aside and stood ramrod straight facing the man at the doorway. The animalistic character drained out of Max's eye as she slowly deflated.

"Hi Jeb." She whispered.

I watched in horror as she wobbled and blacked out. I caught her and slowly set her down on the floor. Turning, I faced Jed or Jeb or Job?

"What did you do that for?" I fumed, Max in my arms. If this was how it was going to go down so be it!

* * *

**(Laughs) Marcus is an idiot! Just Kidding. Anyway im sorry to all those people who wanted Fang to die but my story was going in a different direction and I'm sorry to all those people who wanted Marcus to die but you got out voted. But I got you to review. These chapters after this one explains more about the flock betraying Max, Yada yada yada.**

**So Review and I will type faster!**


	17. Jeb

**Hey this isn't it for the update but i just felt like i needed to end this here... Enjoy!!!**

**oh it just sank in... I GOT OVER A HUNDRED AND FIFTY REVIEWS!!!! (does victory dance) Okay im done now...**

* * *

Max POV:

I woke up to see Jeb's face looking over me. He smiled.

"Hi Max. I've missed you."

Right then I knew something was wrong. I was on a hospital bed without the big, plushy cushion and tied to the bed with only Velcro straps on my wrists and legs.

_Now is a good time for a four letter word._

I was drugged. I could hardly drawl out a word. But I finally managed to move my mouth enough to make something near a word. I was too drugged to feel anything.

"Thanks I feel right at home." I took a deep breath. I groaned happily. "Ummm, Itex."

I allowed my head to roll to the side facing Jeb. It was perfect. The colorless, concrete walls, the hospital bed, the drips stuck in my arm, the smell, a former whitecoat, all to make me feel at home. But I have a home already and I was going back.

Jeb winced. "We didn't want you to hurt yourself. You almost paralyzed your arms, hitting the wall like that. This was for the best."

"Oh Jeb," I drawled, sounding more and more like a drunk, "you worry too much. You know Beast could have made it. She would protect me." Oh good Mother of Mary, was I drooling? **(A/N: snicker, snicker)**

Jeb leaned in. "Is that what you call her? Beast? Does she protect you, help you? Is she you?"

"I'm not shiz- shzi-schizophrenic." I drawled out schizophrenic slowly, not able to pronounce the words. This was messed up. I AM NOT CRAZY! No matter what you people think.

I had I huge headache. Wow, if I could think straight I would be happy I could feel pain. Is this what being drunk feels like? I felt like dancing and puking at the same time. Man I was out of it… I mean _dancing_? I couldn't take it anymore.

"Jeb, what do you want?" I tried to growl.

"We need you, Max."

"Why?"

"You need to save the world."

Not this again!

* * *

**Oh and what i said before DOES NOT give you an excuse to stop reviewing!!!**


	18. The visitor

**YAY!!! I updated two times in one night! No wonder im so tired.. He he he (I'm hyper)...**

**Review!!!!**

**Oh im gonna do a disclamer just because i want to...**

**DISCLAMER: YO NO SOY SANTIAGO PATTERSON!! (Translation: I'm not James Patterson)**

**Writing in Spanish is so fun!!!!**

* * *

G. leaned back in his pre-war fake leather desk chair. He turned and faced his visitor. Amy and Michael stood on either side of his office door, watching everything with stoic expressions. Their brother and sisters were gone and they wanted to know why. G. wanted to know why. That's the only reason he had let the man facing him on his territory.

"Where are they?" G. demanded.

The dark haired man chuckled, and it angered G. The man had some nerve coming up here. G. could reach over and snap his neck in a second. Or take the pen he was chewing and stick it up his windpipe.

"I don't believe you are in any position to ask such things." The man said.

"No. You are in a dangerous position. You are on my territory and anything I say and do here goes. So if I kill you right now nobody will care. Now you tell me where my kids are or I will find them myself." G. smashed his fist on the desk.

The man smiled. He was attractive in the dark, tall, and handsome kind of way. But right now looks are deceiving.

"Your kids G.? They are not even close to human. They're freaks. Always have been, always will be. They could kill you and not even give a second thought to it. Trusting them is stupid."

G. calmed the storm that was raging within. He has known the dangers when he took in all his kids. He had known what would be essential for their lives. He had known their needs. But that hadn't stopped him. Now they were his kids, and he loved them like a father, no questions asked.

"From what I know, you wouldn't be one to talk."

The man cocked an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"You're a freak just like them."

The visitor's face drained of its color, and he couldn't help the look on his face. G. chuckled.

_Fifty bucks he didn't expect that. No, more like a million._

The man leaned on the desk, getting in G.'s face. G. made sure to keep back and resisted the urge to grab the man by the neck.

"How did you know that?" He hissed.

"I'm not stupid. I have resources you don't even know about. So, word gets around." G. grinned.

The man growled. His knuckles were white from clenching the side of the desk. But G. saw it. He saw the coiling of the man's body. He saw the preparation for the spring. He saw the look in the stranger's eyes. He was going to attack. G. knew too much. But little did he know…

* * *

"I let you go, if you agree to cooperate." Jeb taunted me.

"Cooperate? No comprendo. **(A/N: That means I don't understand in Spanish…)**" I attempted to shrug.

"Max. I'll let you go but you have to agree to help us save the world." Jeb was stern.

"Wow. I thought when I didn't take Itex down the firt-first time you'd give up on me." Was it just me or was my voice higher? Just great.

Jeb sighed. "Max, what happened to you? Of course I didn't give up on you! You're special! You were made for this! You have to save the world."

I grew solemn in my hysteria. I know in my right mind I would have laughed, but my right mind had long ditched me when it saw the white light.

"There's not that much world left to save, Jeb."

"Yeah, I know."

* * *

G. watched in satisfaction as the man sprang and jumped to get to him. G. watched the man's face twist from anger to brief surprise as Michael twisted his arm, using the momentum to jerk the arm back further. The mutant's eyes flickered with realization, but his face stayed a mask of emotionless-ness.

"I told you I wasn't stupid. You thought the three you have in your compound are the only "freaks" you never knew about. Well you are wrong." G. turned to Michael who had anger written all over his face. "Take him out of here. Amy, go with them."

Amy nodded. G. noticed he had stood up in the excitement of it all. _That was fun. _He looked at the man's back as he struggled to get out of the taller man's grip.

"Oh and Fang."

The procession stopped and Michael wheeled Fang around.

"Don't attempt to try and get Max to fall in love with you. You'll fail." G. grinned, savoring Fang's smoldering eyes.

Michael and Amy snickered as they continued to walk Fang out of G.'s office.

* * *

**See aren't you happy? I didn't put a cliffie in here... I knew I could do it. Review (i would say that in Spanish but i don't know how...) Tell me how im doing and what i could do better and all that stuff...**


	19. When did sexy leave?

**Hey people! Waz up? The first part of the story kind of clears up Fang's feelings about Max, and the second part isn't really nessicary except for well, you read it.**

**Thanks for all the reviews! Keep it going!**

* * *

Fang punched the air in front of him. The effect was him flying Superman like with one fist outstretched. If he wasn't so angry he would have snickered (in his head of course). He couldn't believe what G. had said to him.

It's not like he meant to leave Max forever. It was all Jeb's fault. Jeb promised Max would be safe. He promised that she would come back. He promised that it was for the best. So much for promises.

FLASHBACK:

Fang jerked up with a start. A twig snapped. But it wasn't a little critter or even a fox. It was a man. Fang didn't know how he knew, but he did.

Fang got up, his senses tingling. His muscles tightened, ready for a fight. He would protect the Flock no matter what. He stalked deeper into the woods. A figure stepped out of the darkness.

"Hello, Fang."

Jeb.

"How did you…?"

Jeb smiled. "Come with me." Jeb gestured deeper into the forest.

Fang's mind was screaming.

_This could all be a trick from Itex. _

_There could be a dozen Erasers surrounding us right now. _

_Stop. Wake up Iggy. _

_It's Jeb, Fang. I wouldn't trust him._

_No duh._

Fang stopped and whistled a signal only Iggy could hear. He waited until he heard a bird whistle. But it was no bird. Well, kinda. He continued on and followed Jeb into a clearing.

"What do you want, Jeb?" Fang asked angrily.

"It's about Max."

Fang tensed up. "What about Max?"

Fang was jumpy. He was expecting Erasers to jump out of nowhere.

"She isn't even close to saving the world, Fang. She needs some motivation."

"And what do I care?" It was a lie. Fang did care. He cared a lot, but Jeb wasn't going to know about that. "She doesn't even want to save the world. It's not like the Flock is going to die."

Jeb sighed. "You don't understand. Max was made for this purpose. If she doesn't save the world, she will die."

Fang thought his heart was being ripped out. "What do I have to do?"

END FLASHBACK

Fang grimaced. He had done the hardest thing for Max because he loved her. But she hadn't even saved the world. He still loved her anyway.

* * *

Max POV: 

I tugged at the collar Jeb put on me. If they wanted to destroy Itex, then why did this remind me so much of it? Hmm makes you wonder.

I walked down the hall. I couldn't help but become happier as I saw Nohemi and Marcus standing in the hallway looking worried.

"It looks like we can leave whenever we want." I said sarcastically walking up to them in the white hallway.

They turned around with surprise written all over their faces.

"Max!" Nohemi came up and hugged me.

If it was anybody else I could have punched them in the gut, no offense. But since she would punch me right back, I wouldn't risk it, seeing I could hardly walk.

A voice made us all jump.

"87654320. 87654320 can you please report the control room?" A woman's voice blasted over the intercom.

"How… nice." Marcus said looking up at the white speaker built into the ceiling.

I stilled my beating heart, and jerked my head away from the ceiling.

Nohemi laughed. It was then I noticed the collars on their neck.

"Don't you just love the new fashion statement?" I touched my collar lightly, showing it off.

Marcus laughed and I found myself enjoying it… Wait did I just say that? Those drugs must have really gotten to me.

"Yeah. Everyone was really happy to find out we were mutants, too. I just can't wait till we blow this joint."

Nohemi looked at him. "Now just how are we gonna do that?"

"Can't you short circuit the collar?" Marcus asked.

"Been trying, bro." She shrugged.

"Wait," I interjected, feeling very left out, "so Marcus has wings and can turn invisible. What can you do?" I asked Nohemi.

She scrunched up her nose.

"Well, I can do stuff with my mind. You name it I can do it."

I grin slowly spread across my face.

"So can you change the music?" I referred to the elevator music that was playing on the overhead speakers.

She grinned. "I think so."

I watched as her eyes glazed over as she concentrated. All of a sudden Justin Timberlake blasted on the speakers. I placed my hands on a cocked out hip.

"Girl, that was so 2007." I used my best valley girl impression.

"It's a good song, you got to admit." She threw her hands up.

I watched as she started dancing.

_I'm bringin' sexy back_. Justin belted out. _I didn't know sexy left._

I snickered as Jeb walked up his face flaming.

"Shut that racket off!"

_Racket, Jeb?_

I signaled Nohemi with my head. It immediately shut off.

"What do you want, Jeb?"

"It'd time to save the world. Time to send you undercover."

Marcus looked at me.

Save the world? He mouthed.

I shrugged. It was nothing new.


	20. Looks CAN kill

**Yay I updated!! Do you want to know the reason I haven't reviewed? Because I didn't get of my butt, walk the five steps it takes to get to the computer and type this out... And i forgot everything I was gonna put in this chapter so please dont kill me in my sleep...**

**Oh and Max is still a little woozy from the drugs so that's why she's so random and unfunny with the sarcasm.**

* * *

Why me? Why am I always the one saving the world? Why can't someone else do it? But noooo. They had to get the mutant freak to do their dirty work. Lazy bums.

I followed Jeb, ignoring Marcus' stare that had succeeded in almost burning a two-inch hole in my head. Nohemi walked in her swinging manner and I knew she meant business. A few people that were in the concrete hallway stared at us. Did I have a booger hanging out my nose or what?! Leave me alone! Never seen a mutant before?

I sighed as we walked into a conference room with a metal desk and five metal chairs. Fang was seated at one of them, perfecting his emotionless face. I stared at the wall above his head, not meeting his gaze. If anyone asked I was a prisoner of war. The war is called who can save the world? Too bad it's only me.

Hmm, me fighting against myself… How is that possible? Unless, it was me fighting against Beast, but she is not really me. Unless...

"Max," Jeb voice interrupted my thoughts, "care to take a seat?"

I sighed. "No, not really." But I sat down in the cold chair anyway.

"So. Why are we here? In case you didn't notice I don't want to be here. So the sooner I kick Itex's a-"

"Max." Jeb didn't really like cussing.

"Fine. As soon as I kick Itex's _donkey,_ Nohemi, Marcus, and I can leave right?"

Fang slid a manila folder in my direction. "Let's get this over with first."

I sighed and pushed the folder back.

"Just tell me who you want me to kill."

I made a big deal of staring at my nails, acting uninterested. But to tell you the truth I was (excuse my language, Jeb) pissed off. When am I not? Fang and his little cohorts were freaking holding my friends hostage! Now that is not fair.

I almost laughed at loud then. Fair!!! Nothing is_ fair_. It's not_ fair_ I'm a mutant. It's not _fair_ I was experimented on as a child. It's not _fair_ my family betrayed me. It's not_ fair_ I have to save the world. Who said life was_ fair_? Well I got a news flash for you. Life. Is. Not. _Fair_. So you can just kiss my a-.

"Max."

"What?! Can't I cuss in my head?!" I burst out.

Jeb gave me a strange look. "I was talking to you. Didn't you hear me?"

"Nope I was tuning you out."

Marcus snickered. "Yeah, since you're so good at it."

My eyes narrowed as I looked at him sitting next to Jeb.

"Shut up."

He attempted to keep a straight face. Fang immediately cut in. _A little too quickly. Oh what do I know?_

"We need you to do something before you blow Itex up, Max."

"What?" I asked exasperated. I hated how he said my name, as if it was poison or something… Maybe it was.

"We need you to extract information from the source."

"Meaning?"

"We need you to go undercover and pretend to be one of them."

Fang didn't meet my gaze. Smart boy. I think I just found out that looks can kill!

* * *

**Hey sorry it was a short chap. I was supossed to be in bed about an hour ago. I seriously think my mom is gonna start an intervention for me or something...**

**Oh and a revewer told me that they liked the cliffies so I put one in there just for them! I update when I can... Oh and the other Maximum Ride characters are coming real soon!**


	21. Metal head

**I'm not totally dissatisfied by this chapter. Thanks to everyone who reveiwed. Oh and I'm not gonna make romance big inthis story just so you know. Oh and this is before book three, so she doesn't know all this stuff yada, yada, yada... blah, blah, blah...**

* * *

There is always a time when the human mind believes it is best to hit their head on something hard when faced with a difficult, life changing, or even a slightly insignificant choice. I was at that crossroads. So I took the road that looked the most appetizing.

I sighed and banged my head against the table, satisfied by the loud crunch and the jumping of people I heard. Only two people did not jump. Nohemi, who was on my right, and Marcus who was across from her. What can I say? They know me too well.

Fang jumped up and softly placed his hand on my back. I didn't care to move and ruin my beautiful position. I call it, "Nose Kissing Table" by Maximum Ride. **(A/N: He he he...)**

Now I bet all you fan girls are drooling in anticipation at what I could say next. I could say at that very moment I felt a sliver of heat work its way down my spine. I could say I enjoyed his touch. Or I could say it brought back all the memories and I knew at that moment I still loved him… NOT!!!

Ooo. I had you going there. You really believed that didn't you? Well I will tell you the truth this time. I felt anger. No, not the petty ordinary anger I usually feel on a daily basis. I felt extreme anger, maybe even hatred. I could hear Marcus inhale sharply.

_You got that right, bro._

I reached up, grabbed Fang's arm, twisted it behind his back, and pulled. If I had done that to a human, their arm would have popped out of it's socket. But since Fang was unfortunately an Itex creation he didn't even wince. I think he got the message. I let him go and continued my face plant.

_Oh metal table, you astound me with your silver beauty. I am amazed at how you could have easily broken my nose. But alas, you decided it was better for you to make an indent to accommodate my nose. And for this I am grateful… _

Marcus chuckled. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Fang glare at him. I rolled my eyes.

_Lighten up._

"What is so funny?" He spat.

Marcus ignored him and kept laughing. "Hey Nohemi. This reminds me of that time when that one guy accidentally bumped Max on the shoulder?"

They were both laughing now at the memory, and I was trying my hardest not to smile.

"Oh yeah," she giggled, "Max got so mad I thought her eyes were turning red. She smiled at that boy and I knew he was gonna have a heart attack."

They couldn't stop laughing at what happened next. I couldn't help but smile. I decked him. He was about six foot ten. Went down like a girl.

I sat up. "Shut up. I didn't hit him that hard."

"Uh-huh, sure."

I looked at Jeb. "Got any food?"

He shook his head. "Maximum, Maximum, of course we got food."

I stood up. "Good. Let's go get it."

He got up shaking his head.

"No Max, you and your friends stay here."

"But Jeb," I whined, "I don't like it here. It's cold and boring." I stuck my lip out like a child.

He chuckled and walked out the door. Guess whom he left me? Fang.

Oh, joy.

* * *

**(Raises eyebrow) I don' t think that's a cliffie is it?**


	22. Max Engaged!

**I GOT 211 REVIEWS!!! (Does happy dance) Oh... sorry..**

**I might update two chapters just for that!!!**

* * *

Okay it was not just Fang and me. Nohemi and Marcus were stuck there too. By the way… Why are they stuck here? Last time I checked I was the one who got the short straw to save the world.

"So, Max. What have you been up to these past six years?" Fang leaned back in his chair and looked at me.

_That little…_

I walked over to the concrete wall and rested my back against it. Nohemi was watching me warily. Marcus was boring a hole in the side of Fang's head. He is good at that.

"Oh I don't know, thinking of ways of killing you."

"Max, don't be like that." Mr. Emotionless was getting annoying.

"Be like what Fang? A backstabbing liar? Maybe I should take lessons from you."

I refused to look at him. The concrete wall was suddenly very interesting.

"Max, you don't understand. It was complicated; we were trying to help you!" Fang let a little emotion into his voice, but I was ignoring it.

I snorted. "I don't want to hear about it Fang. The only reason I am here is because you drugged me, and put this stupid collar on me." I turned and looked him in the eye.

_Time to freak him out…_

"Have you been taking lessons from Itex? Your interior design is a, must have. It's kind of "how can we freak the mutant out." Very nice." I rolled my eyes and looked towards the wall.

"Who are your friends?"

How could he dare to talk?! The look I gave him was enough to make a grown man pee in his pants! But nooo, he just had to be difficult.

"Why don't you ask them?" I snapped at Fang.

He shrugged and turned to Nohemi. For some reason Fang was trying his hardest to ignore Marcus. I tucked this away for future reference.

_Hey Max._ Nohemi called in my brain.

_Yup?_

_Is Fang the protective type?_

_Sadly._

_Can we have a little fun?_

I pondered this. Is it more fun to beat him up, or make fun of him…? Making fun of him hands down could really be a lot of fun.

_Sure._ I tried my hardest not to smile.

_Yes! I'll pass the word to Marcus. _

"So how do you know Max?" Fang asked trying to act inconspicuous.

Nohemi looked at me as if asking for permission. I nodded, letting her know she could talk. It was all an act.

"She's my pimp." Nohemi said softly.

She wouldn't meet Fang's eyes. It was all I could do from laughing at Fang's expression. All too soon he caught himself, and returned to his emotionless. I would not have picked pimp, per say. Are not pimps, men?

Fang turned to Marcus. "And you?"

Marcus looked at him disdainfully. "She's my fiancée." He snapped.

FIANCÉ?!

* * *

**(looks at smug Marcus) "You just signed your death warrant."**

**"Yeah I know."**

**Max comes out with butcher knife. "Oh Marcus..."**


	23. I AM NOT ENGAGED!

**I tried to update two chapters on Monday but I had homework and (whispers) my mom. My mom's cool though... I have to give her that! SO ANYWAY... I was going to list the names of people who reviewed but so many people have reveiwed since the 9th cahpter so Im just gonna thank you all!!! THANKS!!!!! **

* * *

I was going to kill Marcus. But the look on Fang's face was worth it. He looked like a deer caught in headlights. I fought back laughter, but Nohemi snickering didn't help anything.

Must.

Not.

Smile.

I snuck a glimpse at Fang. He still hadn't washed the expression off his face. It looked like we had just said we had just killed his pet dog or something. _Crap!_ No matter how hard I can be, that just blew all of that out of the water. I burst out laughing. Nohemi was soon to follow.

Fang looked at us in shock. I was doubled over, and Marcus had finally broken.

"You idiot, Marcus." I gasped.

I walked over and smacked him in the back of the head.

"Ow!" He laughed.

"I'm going to kill you."

I fell against Marcus's back laughing, tears running down my cheeks. Jeb walked then at that moment. I knew he was confused.

Nohemi had put her arms on the table and was resting her head against it. She was laughing so hard she snorted. _That_ made us laugh even more. Jeb raised his eyebrow and turned to me. I was still leaning on Marcus, and at that moment I hiccupped. Marcus was holding himself together better, but he was holding his stomach in agony. Then there was Fang, who had finally got himself together, and his mask was securely in place.

"Max, were you playing nice?" Jeb asked trays of food in his hands.

"I was." I panted.

My comment invited new waves of laughter.

* * *

I poked at my food.

"How do I know this isn't poisoned?"

Jeb looked at me. "What?!"

"How do I know this isn't poisoned?" I repeated.

Nohemi smelled the rice suspiciously. Marcus had his arms crossed over his chest.

"Where we live, you can never be too careful." I shrugged.

"It's not." Jeb looked into my eyes, and I could tell he wasn't lying.

"Dig in guys." I motioned them and we dug in.

"So, about this saving the world biz. What do I have to do?" I rested my elbows against the table.

My stomach was happy. I just stuffed my face with food. But I would never let anybody else know that.

"As I said before you have to go undercover. But you need to train first." Jeb stated after watching us eat with wide eyes.

What? We were hungry, it's not our fault we inhaled our food.

"What about them?" I tilted my head towards Nohemi and Marcus.

"They can help if they want. But we can't let them go. They know where this compound is."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, what do I have to train in?"

"Martial arts." Jeb smiled.

"Been there, done that."

"Hacking computers?"

"Boring."

"Extracting information."

I studied my fingernails.

"All the finer points of espionage?"

"Jeb, what do you hope to accomplish here? I was trained in all this stuff and more. Like: How to clean a gun, to shoot it, load it, make weapons out of paper, the fine points of espionage, how to survive in enemy territory, and a whole bunch of other stuff. So unless you have something of importance to tell me like; who am I going to act, or the layout of the building, I think we are done here." I leaned towards Jeb.

His face had gotten red when I mentioned the layout of the building. He probably had never had thought to get that to me. He pulled at his shirt collar. Light blue was his color. Speaking of clothes, I still had the ones that I had worn to the club. So did Nohemi and Marcus.

I leaned back in the chair and crossed my legs.

"Can we have some fresh clothes? Or do I have to ask twice?" I asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had fallen.

Jeb jumped up. "Oh, yes. We have clothes and rooms for you to stay in for the time being as we prepare for your mission." Fang joined in suit and stood.

It was a mission now?

"Now we're talkin'." Nohemi said as she nodded her head in approval.

"I took the liberty of having Angel and Nudge, prepare your rooms." Fang said stoically.

Gasp! He spoke!

Wait did he just say Nudge and Angel? _Joy._ I guess I was going to have to see them now? _Great._

* * *

**Oooh conflict! CLIFFIE NOT INTENDED!!!!**


	24. AN: HELP ME!

**Okay, i feel bad about giving u an authors note, but this is important! How old is Nudge in the book? I really need to know... I can't write the next chapter if i don't know the details...**


	25. Totally

**I want to apologize in advance... my brain is fried right now... im so wiped i cant even think of something sarcastic... thats bad 4 me... Nudge & Angel soon...zzzzzzz**

* * *

I watched Fang and Jeb stride down the hall in a determined manner.

_Aww they look alike. Their determination, anyway. Those little saving-the-world driven people._

I glanced at Nohemi on my right, Marcus on my left. We were a far cry from the saving-the-worlders in front of us. Marcus had his hands in his pockets, ambling in his loping stride. Nohemi was nodding her head, making her feet tap out a beat with each step. And me? I was just strolling as if I was used to walking in top secret bases.

Oh wait… I was.

That is kind of pathetic if you think about it.

I heard a squeal and saw Marcus stop. He jumped, having stepped on something?

"Crap." He said. "I just stepped on a dog. I wonder if it's okay."

"So I'm an It now."

I recognized that annoying little voice. I pushed Marcus aside to reveal a little black Scottish terrier.

"Hey, Total. How is it in the day in the life of a dog?" I smirked. I was enjoying Total's anger. He was always funny when he was angry.

"D-did that dog just _talk_?" Marcus gasped.

"Marcus, meet Total. Total this is my good friend Marcus." I introduced them.

"For your information, Marcus, I am not just a dog. I am a highly intelligent member of this team. I expect to be treated with respect."

Wow is it just me, or did that dog get more snobby over the years?

"Well I'll be. That dog is cooler than a pack of ice." Nohemi cooed.

Total looked at her suspiciously. "Was that a compliment?"

"You know it bro." She grinned. Total did some kind of doggy grin.

"So Maximum, I see you are still alive."

"Sadly." I shrugged.

He paused then turned to Fang. "I can escort them to their rooms now."

"But-"

"I can assure you, that Maximum Ride and her guests will not be of any problem."

Wow, Total where did you get that vocabulary?

Fang shrugged and Jeb and him turned and walked down another corridor.

* * *

Total began rambling off facts about the underground faculty. Nohemi kept asking him questions. You could tell he was happy about that fact. But something just had to barge in and ruin our "fun". Something always does.

Nudge and Angel.


	26. Nudge and Angel

**Man i need to stop writng at midnight! The last part is kind of rushed, i needed to just get somethings over with. Iggy & Gazzy in the next chap! U know what is sad? My dad is getting on my butt now... Is someone trying to tell me something?**

* * *

I flipped my hair over my shoulder and then I saw who was coming down the hall. Nudge and Angel, the motor mouth and the mind reader. Have I already stated how much I love my life? No?

Nudge was eleven when I left, uh correction, they kicked me out, so she was seventeen now. To say the least she was beautiful. Her brown eyes went perfectly with her dark skin, and her hair fell down just above her shoulders.

Then there was Angel, who was still smiling at me despite our little run in.

Crap. I thought I had scared her enough to wipe that grin off her face just for a little while. In fact they were both smiling at me.

"Max!" Nudge squealed.

She ran towards me, arms wide open. I gave her a look that stopped her in her tracks. Nohemi noticed this.

"Uhh, Max has this problem with people touching her now." She cleared her throat.

Marcus wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

What the?! He was still dead meat after the whole engagement remark.

"She never had that problem with me." He said smugly.

Marcus looked down at me and flashed me a pearly white grin. Too bad I was too pissed off to let that slide. I plastered on my biggest smile as I looked up at him.

"Of course not…" I punched Marcus hard in the side. "It was worse with you."

I smiled bigger as he coughed and bended over. Nudge watched in amusement. I could see all the thoughts of us being a couple in my head. I shivered inwardly.

My smiled faded as I turned back to face Nudge and Angel.

"So where are our rooms?" I growled.

Nudge seemed taken aback by my anger. What? She disowns me, six years later she is forced into my life, and I am supposed to greet her with wide open arms? What is wrong with these people?!

"They are over here." Angel smiled at me, love and compassion oozing from her pores.

_Need a tissue?_

_Max, we love you. Angel thought to me._

_Get. Out. Of. My. Head. NOW._

She shrugged still beaming that disgusting smile, and turned a corner. Nudge followed and soon we did too. Total was being surprisingly quiet.

Suddenly Angel stopped and turned to Nohemi. Nohemi eyes narrowed.

_Uh-oh. RUN! _

I watched as Nohemi growled and Angel was lifted up five feet in the air.

"You ever try to read my mind again; I will kick your butt! I don't care if you are just a kid you have no right to do that! My thoughts are private!" Nohemi snarled.

Angel nodded, fear in her face. I guess she didn't like that too much. Good.

I snickered inside. That was funny.

* * *

Guess how our rooms looked. Like someone had puked up forest green all over the walls. The beds were made military style. Nohemi and I were in one room; Marcus was placed into one right next to us. A pair of green camouflage pants and matching green shirt was placed on the bed Nudge had pointed out to me. Crap, was that a bra and underwear on the folded clothes?

HOW DID THEY GET MY SIZE?! #$!&#!#W)!!!$#$$#$#$#!!!!!

I don't even want to know…

* * *

I showered in the small bathroom they had in the room, changed and walked out to see Nohemi on her bed smirking.

"What?" I asked.

"I see you got some boys competing over you." She said happily.

"What?!"

"You haven't seen it? Marcus and that Fangy boy have been at each other's neck all the time they have laid eyes on each other." She was seated on the edge, her legs crossed, and her hands placed behind her on the bed.

What was with these people and forest green?

I sat down on my bed and started lacing the green combat boots that were placed on the foot of my bed.

"Nohemi, I don't care. What they do is their business." To be honest I wondered how it was going to work out.

"Sure."

I tucked my pants into my boots with precision that would have made a general proud. I stood up and gestured us with my head to go. She sighed and got up. We teased each other as we walked outside to the white hallway. Marcus was standing right outside the doorway. He jumped up when we closed the door.

"Ready?" He asked.

I nodded, and we three went off to find Jeb.


	27. Guns

**WARNING: Crappy chapter...**

**I dint have much time and im supposed to be doing a science project that I left all the information for at school. Now my mom wants to see my work... it sucks...**

* * *

I tapped my foot on the floor impatiently. As soon as I got out of here, the sooner I could spread my wings, and fly away as fast as I can from this place that reminded me so much of my little piece of heaven called The School. Ooo, it even had a sinister sounding name. THE SCHOOL… (Cue horror music).

A random thought bombarded my head.

_So if I blew up The School, and this place is like its clone then am I/Beast going to blow this one up? _Interesting.

I groaned. Some overexcited S.T.W. (Saving the Worlder) in training had gotten suspicious about us three walking down the hall with out escorts, and now we had to wait for Jeb. In normal circumstances I would have punched the guy's lights out, but in no time we were surrounded my guards with guns. They jumped at my every move. I know they were trigger happy.

_Time to see if they could be pushed to the edge._

"So…" I slid up to the guard closest to me. They were all decked out in all black, bullet proof vests, helmets, the works. "How does one get to make you shoot off your gun?" I asked innocently.

The guard was pretending to look straight ahead but I could see him glancing down every so often.

"So if I just do this…" I reached out, and before he could blink, took his automatic rifle, cocked it, and pointed it at him.

All the guards jumped and had their guns pointed at me in an instant.

I smiled and looked around at the barrage that had circled me.

"What?" I shrugged and threw the gun back at the shocked guard.

Marcus pulled me towards him, shielding me with his body.

"Do you have a death wish?!" He hissed at me.

"You don't have to protect me Marcus." I hissed back.

Who was he to be my knight in shining armor? I didn't want one. I didn't need one. I can protect myself thank you.

I pushed Marcus off. Why was it_ now_ that everybody started caring about me?! I pushed the guards out of my way and went looking for Jeb. This was ridiculous.

The guards looked shocked. Obviously they are not used to me. Good.

I was mad, and I was going to kill Jeb. Maybe if I could just chew this collar off…


	28. Bionic Implants

**I was reading my story and realizing how much of it was just full of fillers so I apologise for that. I will update againsoon, so don't worry. Thanks for all the reviews and there is a ton more I wanted to say, but I forgot.**

**Oh and I want to ask forgiveness because I think Max has been acting out of character for the last few chapters, so I'm trying to fix that.**

* * *

I pushed people out of my way. I was getting to the roof and I was flying away, no question asked. So what if my neck got burned, a little? The place was suffocating, and that is not good for a jumpy hybrid. 

I ran smack dab into Fang. He chuckled at my death glare. Something was wrong with his brain if he couldn't see I was pissed.

"This way, Max." He turned me around and led me by my shoulders.

I hissed and shook his hands off. Was it just me or was my skin burning where he touched me? That cinched it. Nobody touches me; personal space and everything.

Marcus and Nohemi fell in step with me.

"Where are we going?" Nohemi asked.

Fang ran to get in front of us.

_Maybe if I glare hard enough I can burn just a tiny hole in his head so he can bleed to death…_

_Yo, sis. Don't glare too hard; you don't want to hurt your eyes do ya? _Nohemi chimed.

_Shut up._

She laughed.

Fang looked back suspiciously. "We are going to the sparring rooms. See if Max is up to fighting standards."

Marcus snorted. "Have you seen her fight on the streets?"

I smirked.

* * *

"Okay, Max." Jeb's voice filtered through a P.A. system.

I was standing in a 19 ft. by 19 ft. room with windows on all four sides looking in. The floor was padded with blue foam, to prevent serious injuries to the fighters. This was the room where the best of the best would duke it out. I was waiting for my opponent. Wimpy Fang was staring in, waiting to fight winner.

A door to my right opened and Iggy stepped in. He flashed me a cocky smile and stood to face me.

My stomach burned where he hit me from so long ago.

I saw Nohemi, Marcus, Fang, Nudge, Angel, Jeb, and The Gasman staring in at me. They just wanted to see some blood. I would make sure to satisfy them.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, get ready to witness the slaughter of Iggy. It will be bloody gruesome and everything you expect to see when Maximum Ride gets involved." I said in my best announcer voice.

"Now hold on just a minute, Max. Iggy is our best fighter. He got his eyesight back, but his other senses are still very acute." Jeb's voice crackled.

"Can't the boy speak for himself?" I crossed my arms and sighed.

"Yes I can Max." Wow, Iggy's voice had gotten deep!

"So what did they do to your eyes this time?"

He smiled. I was amazed at how much he had grown into a man.

"Bionic implants."

"Of course. Now are we here to fight or talk about how these six years have been?"

I got into a sparring position. He started to mimic me but he stopped and a look of pain crossed his face. Iggy fell to his knees clenching his head. I realized what was happening.

"Nohemi I can fight my own battles, thank you." I called out angrily.

She shrugged and immediately the look on Iggy's face faded away.

"They are a little protective." I grinned at Iggy.

He shook his head and got into a fighting position that looked like something off a Kung Fu movie.

"Now, Max, this is a test to see just in how many martial arts you have been trained in, and how you apply them to a real life fight." Jeb informed me.

_...hmmmm..._


	29. Fight!

**Wow... See? I like this chapter. It's one of my best! So enjoy, thanks for all the reveiws and... that's it.**

**Oh a kind of "theme song" for Max is Lonely Man by Audio Adrenaline if you want to look it up.**

* * *

I shut down all other parts of my brain that was unnecessary at the moment and focused everything on this one. Everything slowed down. My breathing became slow and even, my heart pounded in my ears, and a strand of blond hair fell in front of my eye. I was ready.

We circled each other anticipating who would make the first move. Me or him.

Him.

He surged forward with surprising speed and agility. He threw a punch at my head. I ducked and used it to punch him lightly in the ribs. I was going slowly to warm up.

"Kung Fu!" I yelled out and surged to a corner.

Kung Fu is actually a defensive martial art, and it was actually on of my favorites. I got into a position, swaying side to side. It was called the twelve drunken immortals. The whole thing was used to throw attackers off their guard when this thing was invented. The defenders would act drunk, and then with lighting speed attack their adversaries.

Iggy took advantage of this and punched where he thought my head would sway next. I ducked, spun and chopped him in the back. He jerked up and turned to face me. I kneed him in the gut, and swept his legs off the ground.

He caught himself before his butt touched the ground and threw himself up.

"Muay Thai!"

Muay Thai was created in the Thailand area by the Siamese people. They basically have two kinds of kicks. One of them is kind of like a snap kick. It lifts your kicking leg off the ground, pivots your hip, and delivers a powerful kick to your opponent's head.

I used this one while Iggy was still getting his bearings. I aimed just above the right ear. His head snapped back, but he recoiled and caught my leg. He twisted it sending me flying up in the air. I tucked my body in and spun myself three times in the air. I caught myself right before I fell on the ground, letting my arms absorb most of the impact.

I heard Iggy grunt, and I moved to the side, his foot barely brushing by my head. I twisted and kicked him in the gut, turning myself right side up. My arms held me up as I went for his knees with my left foot. He caught my foot and pushed me over.

I used the momentum and flipped myself to stand up. I faced him and got back into fighting potion. My heart was beating faster and I took a moment to cherish this. Iggy was just barely starting to breathe hard.

_Time to go on the defensive. _

"Kung Fu!"

What can I say?

I rushed forward swinging my arms in circles. One arms was going clockwise, another was going the opposite direction. I stopped right in front of Iggy and distracted him. I could see confusion cross his features. I launched myself in the air and kicked his face surprising him. He blocked just in time, and threw me against the wall.

I stumbled up and popped my neck. I rushed Iggy and waited for him to punch me. He threw both arms at me, and I grabbed them, and used his momentum to pull him forward and knee him in the face.

That's how it went for a full twenty minutes. I got bored and poured the speed on.

"Street!" I called off.

I could hear Nohemi and Marcus cheer.

I threw myself into Iggy and pinned him to the wall. I began punching him until he got me in the ribs. I jumped back and waited for him to walk towards me. Then before he could realize I sent a powerful kick to his midsection, throwing him back against the wall again. I could hear the impact, and smiled. This fight was over.

Everything came back rushing at me. I turned to face the window where Nohemi, Marcus and everybody else was standing. People had crowded in every window, watching their best fighter go down with wide eyes. The former flock was no exception.

Their mouth was agape and their eyes were the size of large dinner plates. Nohemi and Marcus looked shocked to the core. I chuckled at their faces. This was great. I had taught them all a lesson. Marcus was the first one to wake from his wide-eyed stupor.

He shook his head with a gin planted on his features. "Man! Remind me never to mess with you. That was… wow."

Nohemi grinned. "I knew you had skills, girl. But I never knew they were that good." She swore colorfully.

Everyone came rushing in at once. My friends to congratulate me, and the pathetic flock to help a defeated Iggy up. Apparently he had passed out. Oops.

Jeb looked almost sad. He rushed up to me and just stood there.

"Are you waiting for something?" I asked, almost happily.

The fighting had let me vent my anger.

"I have never seen anything like that!" He exclaimed. "Whatever Itex did to you, they knew what they were doing."

With that Jeb ran off to go check on Iggy, and to see if he had a concussion. Was it just me or was Fang looking a little green?

**_It all comes down so I break it down._**

**_It all comes down so I break it down._**

**_It all breaks down._**

* * *

**That was from lonely man... So how did you like it? I know I did... Kind of short but good enough...**


	30. oh so blue

**Short chap... sorry... one of these days im going to dedicate at least 4 hours to give you a long chap...**

* * *

I stalked up to Jeb who was inspecting Iggy's eyes.

"So have I proven my worth yet, or are you too scared to let me out on Itex?" I grinned and cracked my knuckles.

Jeb looked sullen as he turned towards me.

He drew in a deep breath. "Well, yes. But if your friends want to join in they need to train too."

I sighed. "Who needs to fight who?" I was getting tired of this."

"Well, Marcus can fight, Fang, and Nohemi can fight Iggy when he recuperates."

I shrugged and signaled my friends to come over.

"Yo." Nohemi sauntered over with Marcus at her side.

I turned and looked Marcus in his oh-so-blue eyes. "You need to fight Fang."

Somehow I savored those words. For some odd reason.

I watched through the window as the two men circled each other. Marcus was actually taller than Fang. Even though their hair was both black, Marcus's had more of a blue tint to it. Fang was stockier…

Oh gosh… was I comparing them? I need to get a grip.

They stalked each other like two panthers waiting to pounce. Tension filled the air so I could feel it through the bullet proof glass. I sensed that they were fighting for a lot more than just to see who the best was.

Marcus raised his fists and caught Fang off guard with a perfectly placed punch to his nose. It was on.


	31. no comment

**First I must apologize for the looong wait and my short chapter. I was working on it for a whole day, then it turned out to be crap (the same for this chapter). I ask for all your forgiveness and I will try to make it up to you... But be warned this chapter is much like crap.**

**Oh ans the reason I was out so long is that I had a lot of homework and projects and yada yada yada.**

* * *

Max POV:

I watched the two men go into an all out battle. It was beautiful.

So let me catch you up to speed. After Marcus threw that beautiful punch that connected with Fang's face, Fang retaliated by throwing a punch/kick combination that Marcus easily blocked. Then Marcus fake punched at Fang's stomach and with his other hand went for his face. As Fang was stunned Marcus spun, delivering a round-house kick to Fang's head with his heel.

Fang staggered back, then he lashed out with kicks and punches that were very sloppy if I do say so myself. Fang was a good fighter, but he sometimes let his anger get a hold of him. It was okay when you were fighting an eraser, but not when you fighting an agile human hybrid.

Every time that Fang landed a blow I could hear Nohemi hissing beside me. I know she wanted to go out there and join the fight. She was just like that. But she knew this was Marcus's fight and he was going to win hands down. He did.

You could tell they were both getting tired after about, oh... half and hour. Fang tried not to show it. You could see it on Marcus's face, but he pressed on. Then Marcus jumped high into the air and kicked Fang's chin up that made him fly back. It was like something on the Matrix, those movies that Michael loved so much.

With that it was over. Again everybody that was watching was stunned at what Maximum Ride and her posse could do. My lips twitched in something resembling a grin as I looked at Jeb's shocked expression.

_We can do better than that baby._

* * *

After the fight with Fang, Jeb had placed us in the same little conference room as before, but with a new metal table. Us meaning, Marcus, Nohemi, and me. Nohemi was studying the mission reports, and Marcus and I were laughing at the bruises that were sure to manifest on Fang's face.

"Did you know," Nohemi looked up from her reading, "they intend on sending two people into the Itex headquarters here in the States. Two. There are three of us. Where the third one come in? Or was that Jeb guy planning on dumping one of us?"

I shook my head incredulously. That guy would really try to pull one on us?

"You know, I don't really like that Jed guy." Marcus said.

"Join the club."


	32. G and Ren

**Sorry 4 da really short chappie, but I need to get something thru... I AM NOT DONE OR GIVING UP ON THIS STORY!!!! I just have too much stuff to do and not much time to do it... But Christmas break is coming!more time to write.**

**Now currently working on next chapter...**

**DISCLAMIER: Ren belongs to Dragonkey258! Maximum Ride belongs to J.P.**

**CLAIMER: EVERYTHING ELSE BELONGS TO ME!!!!!**

**okay im done now...**

* * *

G. sat at his desk with his chin resting on his intertwined fingers. He was so deep in thought he did not notice the oak door across from him opening. Amy walked in slowly, worried for him. He had been neglecting his duties, so Michael had to pick up the pieces, make sure everyone's loyalties were in place, and deal with the people who were not loyal. G. looked deep in thought.

"G.?" She said softly with that silky voice of hers.

He jerked up. "Huh?"

"Uh… dinner's ready."

"Oh…"

"G.? Is anything wrong?" She knew something was wrong, but no waste in asking.

G. sighed and Amy started getting scared. G. had a look of defeat on his face. He never showed that side of himself around his 'kids'.

_I knew I had to tell them sometime. Now with Max gone_… G.'s thoughts trailed off and he knew what he had to do.

"Go get Michael. I have something I need to tell you both."

* * *

Ren stalked down the hallway. His suit was black and sort of baggy, but his slicked back orange hair and violin case took attention away from that little detail. Ren had just come back from a mission for Jeb. He thought the suit was a little ridiculous, but anything to destroy Itex. 

He saw Jeb frantically pace down the hallway until he saw Ren.

"Ren! Thank God you are back! I need you to do something for me." Jeb came up and waved his hands around like he was swatting invisible bugs or something. Ren thought it made him look neurotic.

The sixteen-year-old shrugged. _Whatever._


	33. Lord have mercy

**Warning: CLIFFHANGER!!! Oh.. and i almost got killed by my dad (jk) but he got pretty close cause i was on the computer so i hop you are happy. Longer chapter.**

* * *

Amy's eyes bulged open and Michael looked like he was going to jump G. G. sighed, his heart heavy. He never wanted to tell him, but it was necessary to carry out what he wanted to do. Michael jumped up from his chair abruptly, causing Amy to jump. She looked like she was going to cry. Amy was always sensitive like that.

"I can't believe this!" Michael practically yelled.

"Would you rather me not tell you? Would you like to be ignorant to my past for the rest of your life? I'm the only one that kept you, Amy, Nohemi, Marcus, and Max alive." G. stated calmly, his voice reverberating off the walls.

"Max, Marcus, and Nohemi are like us?" Amy raised her head.

"Yes."

Michael paced in the background. "I should kill you now!"

"You don't mean that." G. said.

"Maybe I do," Marcus yelled, "you don't know what it was like for me in there! For all of us!" He turned to face G.

"I told you so we can help Max."

Amy and Michael froze. "Help?" They asked in unison.

"I need to go back to where I used to work. Itex."

* * *

Ren stood in the hallway outside of the compound's meeting room. Jeb had explained everything, but he was having trouble comprehending.

"So you want me to go in there?"

"Yes." Jeb wrung his hands. Ren hated when he did that.

"And you want me to play tour guide for a psychopathic, schizophrenic, lady who has an anger management problem, and expect her not to eat me?"

"Yeah. Any problem?"

_No, no problem. I just don't want to die._

"Jeb, can't Fang, Iggy, or another older experiment do it?"

"No, she hates Fang and Iggy and none of them are as ready or stable as you." Jeb smiled nervously.

"You mean everyone else is too crazy, sick or just doesn't want to do it." Ren pulled at the collar of his suit. He just wanted to get out of this suit, sleep for a day and stretch his wings and tail. Yes he had a tail. Of course a Vulpine (fox)-Avian (bird)-Sapien (Human) hybrid had to have wings _and_ a tail.

"Please, Ren…"

Why did Jeb have to beg like a little kid? This guy was pathetic.

"Fine!" Ren snapped.

Jeb sighed happily, then ginned widely. "Thanks so much. I owe you."

_You always owe me._

Jeb opened the metal door and ushered Ren in. The fist thin he saw was a man at the back of the room his blue/black wings extended. He knew his wings were bigger than the span of the walls, because the man's wings were only spread out partially. A small, dark haired woman sat at the metal table, her eyes in slits, as she clutched a manila folder.

Then he saw her. Maximum Ride. She was taller than him and her golden hair fell down to her waist. Her arms were crossed, and her eyes were pointed daggers. The anger in her eyes caused Ren to take a step back. He looked back at Jeb who was cowering behind him.

"Hi Jeb," Maximum spat out, "who's the shrimp?"

_Lord have mercy._


	34. life is funny

"Who's the shrimp?" I asked Jeb, my arms crossed. I was getting really pissed that they would not just let me loose on Itex already. I mean 'c'mon! How much "Training and Evaluation" do I have to go through?!

I glanced at the red headed boy who had set down what looked like a black violin case. He was wearing a black suit and slicked back hair revealed shockingly green eyes. He looked normal. Except for the fact he did not have any ears.

I locked eyes with Jeb who was cowering behind the boy. "Jeb, what's going on?" I demanded.

"Oh… well, umm…" Jeb stuttered.

"I'm gonna be your tour guide." The boy piped up. He straightened and started messing with his hair. "The name's Ren."

That's when I saw it. The boy had ears that his hair had hidden. But they weren't normal ears, they were fox ears. Can you say, Itex? Anyone?

I smiled and directed my speech to Marcus and Nohemi who looked like they were going to rip someone's throat out.

"Aww, isn't that sweet. They got us a tour guide." That was the signal for both of them to calm down. Nohemi's eyes opened all the way and Marcus tucked his wings in. Seemed he had cut slits at the back of his shirt, like I did for easy access.

"Okay seems like I will be going now…" With that Jeb sped walked away.

I snorted and shook my head. The wimp.

Ren cleared his throat. "I guess we better get going…"

* * *

We walked down the white washed halls that could hurt your eyes if you looked at the paint too long. Apparently this place was really entertaining. It had an infirmary, a cafeteria, a fight ring, barracks, and (gasp!) facilities for men and women! Total decided to join us. He was probably the only one I didn't want to kill of the old flock. Funny how life works that way.

* * *

**Sorry for the short chapter**. 


	35. I loved you

Have I stated how much I hate this place?

I was staring at the white plain ceiling. I was laying in a very uncomfortable bed right next to Nohemi. The room was dark was lifeless, except for the sound of my friend's familiar breathing. I could tell she was relaxed, but I was not. I hadn't been able to relax for a long time.

The stupid bed creaked as I shifted restlessly. My eyes were tired but I did notdare fall asleep. Too many dreams…

I turned again onto my back. My breath was fast, and my eyes caught everything, now used to the dark. I couldn't stand this! How many hours until sunup? Too long.

I sighed and sat up, willing the bed not to creak. My legs flew over the left side, away from Nohemi. I hope that girl doesn't wake up. How do you sneak away from a mind reader? Maybe if I don't think anything… Wait. I just thought something didn't I?

Ugh. Oh well. My mind was made up. I was leaving.

Okay. I am not spreading my wings on the roof, ready to break through the stupid barbed wire that was probably electrified, even at the risk of death. No. Even though I would so like to take that chance, I might as well save the world.

Ooh. I guess there is no escaping it. But I was on the roof. It was nighttime and I guess this compound was somewhere in the country. I relished the darkness and closed my eyes. Peaceful. I could not hear anything, except the beating of my heart, and my still breathing.

Now this was the best. I slowly sat down with my eyes still closed. I stuck my feet over the edge of the building, letting my feet dangle. I told Marcus I wouldn't throw myself off a building, but I could still sit on the edge.

There is a clause to everything.

* * *

I heard him before I saw him. When we were teenagers I would always get mad that he could always sneak up on me. Itex made sure that could not happen anymore. I listened as he slowly sat down beside me and I could feel his body heat radiating off of him. A cool breeze quickly squashed it.

I could feel him shiver.

"Man, Max! It's freezing up here!"

My eyes never opened. I took solace and peace in the darkness.

"Hello, Fang."

"What are you doing up here Max?"

Did I really have to tell him? It's not like he had tried to make me a part of his life. Heck! He had kicked me out of his! I kept myself calm. It was his loss… get over it Max.

"I'm trying to relax. Do you have a problem with that?" I _calmly, almost_ snapped.

Fang sighed. It was a strange sound.

"You're still mad at me aren't you?"

"Mad? At you? How could I be?" I asked sarcastically.

My Zen mode was slowly fading. Forget jumping off a building, I would _throw_ Fang off the building. Darn him and having to totally ruin my relaxing moment.

"You know Max, I didn't want to do it." He breathed.

"Do what?"

The wind changed and I caught a whiff of Fang. Was that cologne? Okay one, where did he get that? Last time I checked we were in the middle of a manmade apocalypse. Second… ewww. That stuff is nasty.

"I thought it was for the best. Maybe you would get over it and come looking for us. Or maybe you wouldn't leave in the first place. The plan was you would leave, save the world, and come back to us." Fang said, almost cocky.

Okay, my peace was so gone. My eyes flew open and my face contorted to a mask of anger. My head whirled to face him.

"What?! Are you really that self centered? You would kick me out of our camp, tearing away everybody I would give my life for, and expect me to come back with open arms after awhile?! You are a son of a whore." I growled. My nails clawed into the cement edge.

Fang flinched.

"Well Jeb told me…"

"I don't care what that whitecoat said! You should have never listened to him in the first place! It's not like he is my father, he doesn't know what's best for me!" I practically yelled.

I saw Fang's face turn into a mask of emotionless-ness I had come to hate. His was the face that haunted my dreams. His face along with all of the Flock's. They were all bastards. Literally.

"When I was in the School I cried every night for you. I clung to the stupid hope that you would change your mind and help me. The whitecoats thought it fascinating. Then, I stopped believing. I stopped believing and started hating you. So next time you come crawling to me asking for forgiveness, remember this. You shattered my heart. I'm not going to let you do that again." I hissed.

My hand twitched, wanting to punch Fang's perfect face. He disgusted me. I spit to the side, showing my repulsion to him. Sicko.

Fang opened his mouth to speak. The first signs of dawn shadowed his face. "I'm sorry."

I knew he wasn't apologizing for what he had done. He had pity that I had let myself get captured in the first place.

"I don't need your pity." I spit in his face. His nose was just an inch from mine. It was like an extreme stare off.

I broke it first to get to my feet. I walked away, but stopped when I was a yard away from him on the rooftop. I turned my head to the side.

"You know I loved you." I snorted and kept on walking.

I knew that hurt him, because he loved me too.


	36. Money can buy everything

I picked up the stupid manila folder that symbolized everything I had been trying to run away from. Jeb, the Flock, Itex, and just saving the idiotic world that couldn't save itself.

Why did they need me? Because I was an avian hybrid? No. It was because I knew Itex. I had grown up in its School, and it was just for dramatic irony that I had to be the one.

Ooh, that sounds sinister. The One.

I opened the folder and a picture of a woman that looked like me was papercliped to the top. She had short blond hair, her eyes were a little bit darker than mine, thinner lips, and no scar, but she could be my twin. Itex must have gotten some of my genes from her parents.

I read the little paragraph they had on her. She used to be a defense contractor for the grand U. S. A. but Itex offered her a lot of money. A lot. Hmm, so she turned against the president and her country for 8,000,000,000 dollars. Money _can_ buy everything.

So apparently she was being held here for the time it takes to complete my "mission". Collecting intelligence would be a boring mission, but oh well. I was going to impersonate her since she had a meeting with the big bad director herself. More guns for Itex!

The air moved behind me as I read. I was standing in an abandoned hallway, reading with the first lights of dawn peeking through the cracks. Someone had wrecked havoc on this wing, Ren had told me. A saved experiment gone crazy. He wouldn't answer when Nohemi asked what happened to him. She didn't have to if she knew its gender, but never question a mind reader/manipulator.

"Hi Marcus."

Marcus materialized behind me.

"How did you know it was me?" He grinned.

I never looked up from the packet. Jeb had finally given me the blueprints for Itex's upper and lower levels. 'He couldn't get the basement' the scrawl read.

Marcus shifted.

"You can make yourself invisible, walk without any sound, but you can't erase your smell." My lips quirked.

Marcus raised his right arm and took a whiff of his armpit.

"I don't smell anything." Marcus said astounded.

I chuckled. Men.

"Everyone smells like something, smart one. I can smell you 'cause the scientists at the School were elated at having a guinea pig." I looked over my shoulder and grinned at Marcus. "But don't worry. You don't smell bad."

He smelled pretty good actually. Kind of musky with a trace of…

I mentally smacked myself. No. Bad Max. Marcus friend. FRIEND.

I jerked my head towards the packet and continued reading. I was supposed to have someone come with me as my assistant. Jed wrote, "_They have to be __male_".

I knew he would prefer Fang. I preferred Marcus. But I would say my assistant is sick. I did not need anyone to come with me. I could take care of myself.

Surprisingly, Jeb didn't know that by now.

There would also be three teams of two to be stationed around the Itex building. Compound is more like it. Heat sensors, x-rays that could penetrate metal to see inside a car, armed guards, and motion detectors were just at the entry points. Things were much worse around the fence.

Marcus leaned over me, and I could feel his breath on my neck. I flinched, and nonchalantly started to walk away.

"Hey! Where are you going?" He yelled after me.

"To talk to Jeb." I yelled back.


	37. The New Flock?

No, contrary to popular belief, I was not hit by a car, or mauled by a ostrich, or whatever you have to explain my looooong absence. Let me tell you what it was. I have a really good excuse this time. Really!... Ready?

Chores.

(Throws hands in the air) YEAH! (looks around)

No?... well it is a sucky excuse. I would really tell you why, but it would take longer than this chapter. I ask your forgiveness as I bring you a longer chapter. Not my best, but I tried.

DISCLAMER: Uh... Max Ride belongs to that one famous dude... and Ren belongs to Dragonkey258.

* * *

I was strolling down the almost deserted hallway with Marcus on my right until Iggy fell in step with us. Why couldn't these people just leave us alone already?

_It's your fault. You got them involved. You should have just saved the world when you got the chance._

Well thank you, Sunshine! I really needed that. Good pep talk.

"Hi, Max."

Well wasn't he the cheery one today?

"What do you want?" I growled.

Iggy grinned. "Actually it's what you want. You left your room and are walking down this hall with a purpose. So that means you want something."

Touché. If this guy wasn't a bird-brain, maybe I would think him my sarcastic intellectual equal. _Oh… did I just make a pun? Bird-brain? Ugh._

I shuddered inwardly. The day when I make puns… something is wrong with me.

_There is nothing wrong with a sense of humor._

Shut up.

"Well…?" Iggy interrupted.

"I _want_ to talk to Jeb."

"Good, because he's waiting for you."

Creepy. "Fine. Marcus, can you go get Nohemi, before she bites my head off?"

Marcus grinned, saluted, and loped off.

Iggy and I stayed in silence until I was sure Marcus had gotten out of earshot. I looked at my former brother in annoyance.

"What do you really want?"

Iggy chuckled, deep and reverberating. If I was the type to be unnerved I guess I would be. But I wasn't. 

"Max, Max, Max. You always know I am up to something." He ran a hand through his cropped hair. "I just wanted to applaud you in finding a new Flock." His voice just had a tint of bitterness in it, but I knew he was enjoying this too much.

I stopped in my tracks in disbelief. "What?" I spat with all the venom I could muster.

Iggy turned to face me, stopping in front of another door. It was painted to blend in with the rest of the décor. White paint and stainless steel doorknob. Iggy's eyes drooped, but his lips were clamped tightly together. The bad thing about his artificial eyes was that they were emotionless. There was no twinkle or luster to them. They were bland.

"Haven't you figured it out yet? Or are you that dense as that last night as a Flock member?" Both of our hands clenched into fists. "You are their leader, Max. You can't help yourself, you were born like that. But someday they will stab you in the back. Just watch."

With lighting speed, well not really, I pinned Iggy to the wall, my hand squeezing his neck. "The thing is, with the Flock, my world revolved around you. With Marcus and Nohemi, they know to keep their distance. They're not backstabbing pigs like you."

His eyes narrowed. Iggy's hands clutched mine, trying to twist them into letting him go. I scoffed and threw him to the floor. The door next to me opened and Jeb's head popped out the crack.

"Oh." He said after seeing Iggy pick himself off the floor.

I pushed Jeb's head, backing him into his office. My free hand closed the door, and threw Jeb into a chair. 

"I need to talk to you."

"Okay."

* * *

An hour later I was rubbing my hand over my face in utter frustration. I was sitting in front of Jeb, his oak desk in between us. Jeb had all the confidence when I was a kid, because I needed him. As much as I refuse to admit it. But now that I am a "grown-up" he knows I make my own decisions. Like who to kill.

For that, he was deathly afraid of me.

The office was lavishly furnished, compared to G.'s. Red, plush carpet that your foot sank in covered the floor. Two loveseats faced the large imposing desk in the middle of the room. A large swivel chair sat behind the desk. A computer was on the right of the table. Behind it, were two large bookshelves with every title imaginable. It was nice to see people squatting in broken down shacks, while Jeb had everything he could possibly want at his disposal.

Do I really want to work with this guy? No.

Did I have a choice?

_No._

Thanks a lot.

Did I really want to choke this guy, until his eyes popped out of his skull?

Heck yeah!

"So run that by me again?" I sighed.

"We need three teams on the perimeter, in case something goes bad. They will be stationed in strategic spots around the fence. They will be fully armed teams of two."

"Okay."

Jeb pointed to a spot on the map. "They will be placed, here, here and here."

"Who will be in these teams?" 

Jeb sighed and leaned back, making the mistake of getting comfortable. "That is up to you to decide. We have a limited amount of people, you know _the people that you want_."

Experiments. Better to trust someone who went through the same hell on Earth you did to have your back, than a fickle human would rather shoot you in the back because of what you are.

No offense to regular humans of course.

I knew immediately who I wanted. "I want Iggy and Nohemi on one team. Marcus and Fang on another." My people mixed with his. Crap, I was going to leave one team that was totally Jeb's cronies. Guess that couldn't be helped. "What about that... Ren kid?"

"Ren?"

"Yeah, him. Is he good in a fight?"

Jeb winced. "Well, he just came back from a mission and he-"

"It's up to him to decide isn't it?" I knew what Jeb was trying to do. He didn't want to use his best kid for a fool's mission. I did not want to use a kid in the first place. But Ren was the best prospect I had seen so far.

"Yeah." Jeb answered, dejectedly.

"Good. Anyone you recommend?"

"Uh… if you're taking Ren, you have to take Crystal."

"Crystal?"

"Yeah, she is about Ren's age, fifteen, and she is the only one who can talk to him when he's in fox form."

Great another kid… wait did he say fox form?

"Fine." I bit off. "I want you to get them ready for me. I would like to pay a little visit to someone."

I took some papers from Jeb's desk and headed towards the door. Mixed in was the blueprints to the compound, Jeb had stupidly left lying around. An assistant popped out of a door on my left to hand me a heavy sliver box/briefcase.

"Where are you going?"

I smiled a devilish grin I opened the door. "To pay a visit to the woman who betrayed her country of course." 

Duh.

* * *

(Slaps head) Duh! it's like... Jake... James...? Yeah James... peterson... platterson...pat...

Oh! Hey I need ideas for Fang's "power". Something serious... angsty, because angst is fun to write.


	38. Money and Love?

Warning: This chapter is Dark, Boring, and contains ... um... mature? content.

My internet was out for about a month because nobody paid the phone bill.

Jeb's assistant led me down the hall to a door that was being guarded by a man with an automatic rifle

I had often told myself that I didn't trust anyone. I had been proven wrong, and this is the last and first time I will admit to that. I had developed _relationships_, no less, with Nohemi, Marcus, Michael, Amy and G. They were all people who could turn around and stab in the back just like the Flock did. I. Could. Not. Let. That. Happen.

Ever.

That's why when Nohemi mentally asked me where I was, I didn't answer. When she pressed on, I blocked her out of my mind. I kind of felt slightly guilty about that, but I brushed it off. Feelings were for the ones who wanted to get hurt.

Not me. I had a job to do.

Jeb's assistant led me down the hall to a door that was being guarded by a man with an automatic rifle. They really did not want this girl to get out did they?

The tiny red headed woman passed a card through the right side of the door and I heard the locks deactivate.

No, they _really_ did not want her to get out.

The woman nodded to me, and I walked in. It seemed like a typical interrogation room. Except the lighting was hidden, and the metal table gleamed with the aura of 'before Itex'. A woman about my age grinned at me through a veil of cigarette smoke. A lighted cigarette burned in her right hand, her left on her thigh. She took a drag, never taking her eyes off me, and let the repulsive air out slowly.

"Hiya." She rasped with the voice of a life time smoker from New Yawk.

I sat down slowly placing the case beside me. It was freaky how similar we were to each other.

"And just when your momma said yous was one of a kind."

I grinned. "And now look at us."

The woman stuck out a hand, with tobacco stained fingertips. How was I going to pull this off? I hated smoking. The smell got to me, clogged up my senses. The one weakness I had, but I wasn't about to advertise it. I stuck out my hand.

"Marian Winger."

"Maximum Ride."

Marian leaned back. "Really? Nice name."

"Yeah, picked it myself."

We both leaned back in unison grinning like idiots. We saw something in each other that we recognized. We liked it. It made a connection and I knew impersonating Marian was going to be a whole lot easier.

"We need to talk about Itex." I sat up, down to business.

"Nope. Unless you gonna give more money than Itex did… I have loyalties."

"Like you had a loyalty to your country?"

Marian scoffed, sending more of that oppressive smoke in the air. "America was going down the tubes anyway. Everybody only cared about themselves. Me. Me. Me. What am _I_ going to eat? What am _I_ going to get? Who cares about other people as long as I have everything _I_ want? It was sick."

Another puff.

"So, Itex comes and offers me a few wads of cash to help destroy the little self centered turds. I couldn't pass that up."

"Turds?"

We both broke out laughing. Maybe it was the smoke getting to me, or the fact that the money in the case right next to me would erase all ideas of "loyalties" that she had to her current employer. I tried to not cough as I attempted to take a deep breath. Attempted and failed miserably.

"I can offer you twice of what Itex offered you," I stated calmly.

This time Marian was the one who coughed. "W-what?"

"Twice the money for everything Itex related. What you were doing there, did you make any friends, even little details about your daily schedule." I met Marian's wide eyes. I had her already. Maybe Greed had her entangled already.

"Six…teen?" She wheezed, her hands clutching the table for dear life.

"Yes." Maybe I didn't like Marian after all. Too greedy, but evil enough… wouldn't be hard to mimic.

"I'm you're gal."

It was my turn to smile greedily. "Good."

Marian threw down her cigarette and rubbed her eyes, tiredly. We had been going over her work for two hours and I was just getting a sense of who this lady was. Of course when I went to the Itex headquarters, I wouldn't have the character down perfectly, but I would be as accurate as I can.

Another hour and we got to her personal life.

"Any boyfriends? Lovers? A husband? Or girlfriends?" No offense to any lesbians out there, but that would be uncomfortable for me. I rather bang a guy I don't know than a girl. Blame the School for making me that way.

Marian chuckled. "Boyfriends? Please, any man worth my time is either dead, turned into a bum, or married. Lovers? Plenty of those. Husband? No. Girlfriend? I haven't tried…"

"Lovers? Hmmm. Since this is your first trip to Itex headquarters, does the Director know about your… habits?"

I had found out that the Director and Marian were what you could call friends, but had never met face to face.

"Oh yes." Marian grinned at me. "It seems we both have the same tastes. She even recommended a number I could call-"

"Okay. Any _specific_ tastes?" This was actually pretty funny. A spy/mutant/experiment and a traitor talking about bed buddies. For some reason Marcus popped into my head.

"Well-built, tall, handsome, I lean toward the dark haired ones with a big…" Marian waggled her eyebrows suggestively. I get it.

I shifted in my seat. "Okay. Let's finish talking about different habits, huh?"

A Few Hours Later:

"So have you given me everything?"

"Everything?"

"Yes. I need your purse."

"And I need my money."

I pushed the case to Marian. "Half in the case, half transferred to whatever account in the world."

Marian greedily accepted the case, opened it and her eyes lit up. "Wow…"

"I need your purse." I was tired, and I just wanted to get out of here. Jeb had blanched when I told him my plan involving the money. _That is so much…_

Yeah, well you're getting it back. Marian looked up and handed her purse to me. Her eyes were glazed over and never left the money for long.

I stood up slowly. I had everything I needed only one more thing to do. Jeb had even asked me if I could do what I was about to do. This was what I was made for. I took a pistol from the guard that was inside the room. He looked at me with wide eyes.

Marian was too preoccupied ogling her money to see me hide the gun behind my back, and face her. She only looked up to ask me something useless.

"You're an experiment, huh?"

"Yes." I replied and closed the case.

"Hey!" Marian looked up with vengeance in her eyes. She never saw the gun leveled at her head until it was too late.

A bullet between her eyes solved Jeb's problem. He got his money back, and my cover was safe in case she got out telling.

I grabbed the case and knocked on the door to be let out. Good-bye Marian.

Hopefully Nohemi won't find out about this.


	39. Angel is not Angelic

**Hey I apologize for not using your ideas for a power. Half of you said lighting and the other half said something to do with emotions. Well since Fang is dark and known for his darkness, and I need something he can throw, why not darkness? You know? Can't you imagine that? A little ball of darkness shooting at your head?**

**No?**

**Must be just me then….**

**Oh and I read MR4. Hated the ending, hated the OBVIOUS agenda. I think I'm gonna stick to MR 1-3. Hey and in MR4 Angel got another power which was shape-shifting. Let's just say she's gotten good enough to mimic real people. You'll need it.**

**Anyway Enjoy!**

* * *

Jeb's assistant looked at me expectantly. I nodded and handed the case back to her. It's not like I could keep the money. I couldn't even bust out. Trust me, I've tried.

A guard decked out in black walked up to me with two people behind him. Marcus and Nohemi walked up. The look in Marcus' eyes told me that something was wrong. Something was wrong with Nohemi.

She looked the same. But in this place you could never be too sure. Nohemi smiled the same sweet smile that had always put even the hardest gangster off their guard.

"Hola, chica!" Her voice was the same with only a minor variation.

I decided instead of strangling her I would test it out. "Nohemi! Where's your necklace, that thing is always around your neck!"

That was a lie. Nohemi had this fetish that if she wore a necklace someone would choke her with it. She settled for tattoos. Lots of them, although you could never see them unless she was wearing a revealing enough shirt.

Nohemi's eyes widened as her hand flew up to her throat. "Oh no! I must have lost it!"

I nodded, still wearing that idiotic grin. Grins were for friends. I couldn't afford to have any. I was Maximum Ride after all. And she was destined to be alone.

_Don't say that!_ A voice yelled into my mind. Angel's voice.

Crap.

"Angel," I stated calmly, "where is Nohemi?"

Everyone except "Nohemi" took a step back. Marcus had told me my calm voice was scarier than anything else I tried.

"What are you talkin' 'bout, Max? I wouldn't let that whore even touch me." Angel stated innocently.

Wow, Angel just called herself a whore. Anyway, Nohemi wouldn't use whore. She would use a word in Spanish that I'm not even sure I can repeat without raising the rating.

"Nohemi smells like musky perfume. You smell like apples and body spray. Now quit the act, maggot."

Maggot?! I was starting to sound like that commando dude at Itex. Maybe the clothes were getting to me. I'd be saluting every one that walked by soon.

"Max I really don't know what your talki-"

She never got to finish her sentence because by then, I had her by the throat. Angel's hands grasped at mine. I blinked at her eyes. They were blue again. I looked closer. Her whole body was changing, turning back into the twelve-year-old I knew and hated. I dropped Angel like a hot potato.

This was getting sick.

I mean, C'MON! This was worse than a freaking video game.

"Where's Nohemi?"

Angel gasped on the floor like a fish out of water, "In… the room. She'll be knocked out for a… few hours."

"What?!" This was ridiculous.

"I can- I can wake her back up. This was all my idea, nobody told me to." Angel wheezed.

Any good psychologist would be saying this was a desperate attempt to get my attention, or as a rouse to spend some time with me. I really didn't give a rat's ass. I am not a mother anymore. I'm not a Flock leader.

Heck, I'm not even G.'s kid.

I am a killer. It's what I was made for and trained in. I just so happened to be saving the world.

I guess I was good at what I do.

* * *

Nohemi narrowed her eyes at the reflections in the mirror of Nudge and Angel as she was cutting my hair. She had almost broken her vow not to hurt anyone under the age of seventeen. It didn't mean she couldn't be pissed off.

I listened to the snip. Snip of the scissors cutting away my hair. MY hair. My HAIR.

"Shouldn't you be focusing on what you're doing?" I asked eyeing the blades in the mirror.

Nohemi tore her eyes away from Nudge and Angel peering over her shoulder.

"Shush. If you want to get a brilliant haircut, raise a barber from the dead and ask him. If you want to get a decent one, ask me."

"I could have done it." Nudge popped up.

Nudge the beauty queen diva.

"You're doing her make-up." Nohemi snapped.

Yup, she was still pissed.

"I don't have to have too much make-up do I?" I asked nervously. I mean cosmetic appliances were dangerous! One random stab and you could lose an eye. A sudden jerk and, uh-oh, there go your eyelashes.

But even though these three girls and woman were at each other's throats, they still grinned in unison at the thought of doing the great Maximum Ride's make-up.

I was dead.

* * *

Marcus POV:

I traced a design on the same metal table in the same conference room that we had been in so many times before. I was bored. Fang and Jeb sat on the sides of the table whispering anxiously.

I can hear that you know.

Fang was playing with a little black ball he had made. Yeah, his power was to make and manipulate darkness. What was this guy, Super Emo?

I have seen guys waaaay scarier than him. And they were normal humans.

It was kind of pathetic, him trying to be all tough guy around Max.

Newsflash: Max hates you. She doesn't hate _me_. She hates _you_. Get over it and go back to flirting with that assistant. Yeah, I saw you. You sent her away when Max came up; going all googly-eyed for her like the assistant was nothing.

Pa. The. Tic.

It had been a few hours since we had seen Max. I was getting kind of worried. NO, I'm a guy. We don't get worried... we get concerned…. Or bored. Whatever you want to call it. Just not worried.

She had been acting all aloof since I came back from bringing "Nohemi" from the room. Maybe it was something that Figgy guy had told her. Crap.

I really don't need more competition. Max hasn't even acknowledged the thought that we be more than friends.

The door squeaked open behind me. I turned to see a woman with short blond hair in a crisp blazer pantsuit, heels, freshly done makeup, and no scar. It was Max. But yet it wasn't. Her chocolate eyes were a tad bit darker and her scar was gone.

It couldn't be Max. Max never dressed up. Max never wore heels.

She looked… beautiful.

Not that she looked beautiful without the make-up. Have you ever seen her step out of the shower, dressed in fresh clothes, her cheeks rosy and bright? No? It might just be me then.

"What?" She asked.

I was startled out of my thoughts to notice Fang and Jeb both looking at her with wonder. I guess they were surprised too.

I said the first thing that popped into my head.

"Wow."

I never said it was intelligent.


	40. Amy

**I just had to write this chapter. I mean, how could it not be angst if it didn't have angst in it? Hope you enjoy Max is coming in the next chapter.**

* * *

Amy slowly walked outside in a daze. Max was in trouble and G. was bent on going to help her. So was Michael.

But she wasn't so sure if she wanted to help.

_You are scared, you pansy._

Amy jerked her head, trying to clear her head. Amy had asked G. about this feeling. He said it was her "beast" or animalistic side. Some of the experiments developed it when they had gotten older. The experiments that had been dealt the most pain.

_You remember it, don't you? They would shock you over and over again to see if you were impervious to it. Lighting Gal, they called you. Then they started burning you to see if you could control that_.

Amy held back a sob. "Shut up!"

_You killed him. You snapped, Amy._

Amy fell to her knees, unable to keep back the sobs. "I-It was an accident!"

_Of course it was, Honey_. The beast's voice was soothing, like a mother to a child. _But you cannot let that fear control you. Let yourself go! Let ME go!_

"No." Amy slowly stood up, ignoring the shaking of her hands.

She slowly walked towards the electric fence that housed the garden. A few bodies littered the area around it. There were a few beggars desperate for food. A gangster who had gotten too close. A few animals had stupidly thrown themselves on the fence, trying to get to the vegetables.

Amy covered he mouth, sick. Michael would occasionally come and clean the area up, but it was a hard task. The frail woman looked up at the sky. It was inky black. It was always black from the toxins and pollutants that filled the air. Now the garden had to survive on artificial sunshine.

Amy stopped at the gate. She stared at it; she could not tear her eyes away. There were countless volts of electricity flowing through it. It was so tempting just to touch it.

No. She couldn't. Amy was scared. She was scared of herself. She didn't know what she could do. Everybody just thought Amy was a sweet little girl. She wasn't. She was a killer.

_Ever since that day, you won't even think about me. Or who you really are. _

Amy didn't answer, still staring at the fence.

_Touch it._

"No." But her voice came out weak and raspy, without much conviction in it.

_Why do you let this rule you? It's okay. It was an accident. The scientists provoked you, and you couldn't help but lash out at him. I mean, look at the gangsters you've killed in the name of the cause._

A single tear slipped down Amy's cheek. "No, it's not okay. I'm a sick, sick, woman."

_Why?_ The single word repeated over and over in Amy's head until she couldn't take it.

"Why!" She screamed, "Because I killed my brother!"

Amy heard it echo until the black sky swallowed it up. She collapsed to the ground in a fetal position, as heart-breaking sobs wracked her body. Her mouth opened up in high-pitched screams of pain, of agony.

_Let it all out._ Her body rocked back and forth.

What seemed like an eternity later, the sobs slowly subsided. The dull feeling in her chest didn't feel that big anymore. Amy didn't feel so numb anymore.

_There. Doesn't that feel better?_

Amy was ignoring the beast. She was reaching a shaking hand towards the fence. She touched it, and immediately a tingling sensation went through her whole body. Amy closed her eyes as the electricity rejuvenated her. Her eyes snapped open, glowing a faint blue. The beast was jumping up and down for joy.

Amy was back.

* * *

Amy strode into G.'s office with a straight back and confidence lacing ever step. It had been such a long time since Amy could look someone in the eyes.

The beast encouraged her every step of the way.

"I want to go."

G. looked up, surprised. "What?"

Amy looked him in the eyes, surprising even herself. "You said Itex would be more willing to take you in after all these years, if you had an experiment with you. I want to be that experiment. I want to help Max."

G. stared. What had happened to Amy? He stuttered, trying to refuse the idea. Not Amy. She would die in there.

Amy slapped her palms on the desk. "Listen, I'm not a gangster, and I will never be. Let Michael be in charge. If I could survive for the first few years of my life, I can survive now."

_Anyway. I'll help her_.

G. had no choice but to agree. If he died, Marcus would be the ideal choice to maintain the "family" name. But that didn't stop him from being worried about Amy.


	41. Bye Maximum

**Hey this is a short chapter, sorry, and I ask for your forgiveness, but everything has been hetic with other wrtitng projects (not FanFictions) so I will try to update as soon as possible.**

* * *

I am not the type to harp about fair and unfair, but I will anyway. It seemed unfair that I had to go berserk just to escape from Itex and now I was now headed towards it. A low growl vibrated in my chest and the driver glanced back in the review mirror, worried.

"You alright ma'am?" He was one of Jeb's spies working in Itex. His job was to transport VIP's like myself.

I raised an eyebrow at him, trying to suppress the red that threatened my world. I didn't trust myself to speak. It wouldn't do to scare the hell out of this guy. He shrugged and returned his eyes to the road.

I scanned my surroundings once more. I was in a white van with the windows painted over. It wouldn't do to drive a limo down the streets and have beggars and drunkards attack you. It just disturbed me not to see outside.

My hand clenched tightly around my purse strap. If I broke it, good riddance.

_Chill._

Why should I chill? I shot back at Beast. It was my head that was going to be chopped off. It's not like you could just erase everything that happened to me as a child. Trauma and all that crap.

_What happened to Max the actor?_

What happened to running for my life?

Beast just laughed at me. Screw you.

"Max?" Nudge's voice popped into my ear.

I growled at her.

"Max, we're tracking you and you're still in the van. It's okay to talk you know."

I'm not stupid, Stupid! I just choose not to talk to you. It's not that I can't.

Nudge sighed through my earpiece. According to her, it was virtually invisible and undetectable. It better be. They implanted it into my ear, along with a tracker on the palm of my hand.

Nudge's voice took me out of my annoyance, bringing it up to a low state of anger. "Max, the teams are in position. You are about two miles away, so I'll have to initiate radio silence since they jam radios all around the compound. But not in the compound, since the guards need to use them, and-"

I growled louder. I thought puberty was supposed to tone down her chatterbox complex. Nudge cut off her rant.

"Bye Max." The radio turned off with a click that irritated my eardrum.

"It's Maximum."


	42. Itex at Last

I actually didn't think I could update, and I even told a reviewer as such (sorry). I am on currently on vacation and this computer (I thought) didn't have a compatable... thingy... Word something or another... But I found out that it does, so I present to you the next chapter or Black Oblivion!

(Cheers in background)

Thank you, and thanks to my reviewers:

Blackroes14, Freefaller0426, Scarlytt, bibliocrazed, BlueyGooz, kawaiisenshi33, Majmay04, and chocalate is gwad.

You guys rock, and inspire me to update faster (or as soon as I can)!

Enjoy! OH and just so you know the bold italics are the voice and the italics are the beast.

* * *

"Here we are, Miss Ride." The driver smiled in the rear-veiw mirror at me.

"It's Winger. Marian Minger." I snapped and threw open the silding door before the driver could hustle out and open the door for me.

The sight of the building looming up before me stopped me short. My eyes flashed red then I reminded myself to calm down. Marian wouldn't throw a fit because her driver wanted to open the door for her. I took a deep breath of the not so clean air and slowly stepped out. The driver ran hurriedly to attempt to open the door for me.

"I'm sorry sir," The words flowed cooly from my lips, "but I felt the need to get some fresh air. I hope you understand."

The driver nodded, his shoulders drooping with relief. The cameras had caught our interaction, so he wouldn't be fired... or worse.

_**Wow, Max, if I didn't know you better, I'd say you actually cared for that man's job**__._ The voice sounded smug.

Go away, I already have Beast in my ear.

_**No you have Nudge in your ear. I'm in your mind.**_

_Yeah, and I'm part of your mind. The avian part. You know what the avian part is telling you to do Max? RUN! GET YOUR SORRY BIRDIE BUTT OUT OF THERE!_ Beast piped up.

_**No!**_The voice yelled in my ear._**She has a mission to accomplish!**_

_She has a life to live. I'm about to pull her out of there!_

_**If you do that, I might just have to give her a brain attack.**_

_You would endanger her life! _Beast roared angrily.

_**So? Better to endanger her life than the lives of so many other people!**_

JUST SHUT THE HELL UP! I screamed in my mind while walking towards the building. I don't know about you, but it's hard to walk down towards my death with a smile on my face when voices are having a fight. In. My. Head. The two warring voices in my mind silenced.

Thank you.

_**You're not going to die...**_The voice said slowly after a millisecond.

_Yes she is and you know it!_

_**That was never the intention!**_

_But it's gonna happen either way. There is a great percentage that she isn't gonna make it out alive. _

_**Not unless she does her job right.**_

_And what is that supposed to mean? My sole purpose is to protect Max's lively hood._

_**So says the multiple personality.**_

_I am not a multiple personality! I am the voice of Max's survival instinct. Get that straight egg-head!_

_**I am a conciousness, thank you very much. I don't have a head.**_

_WHATEVER!!_

I took another deep breath and tuned out the voices in my head. My gosh, I sounded insane. My eyes roamed the building before me. It was a gigantic skyscraper, with a large point at the top, that was actually a communications tower. It was made out of pure steel, casting a foreboding presence on the countryside.

To my back was the 20 foot high fence. The bottom ten feet was stone and mortar, and the upper ten feet was chain link with barbed wire at the top. They had added the last ten feet when the first attacks started. People would throw burning objects over the side, One gruesome case was when a militant group had thrown over a head that belonged to one of Itex's fallen soilders.

But when Itex retalitated by virtually stopping all food distubution, the attacks had stopped. People were to weak to fight back.

The wars had claimed one-third of the world's population.

The worldwide hunger claimed another half.

I really didn't want to see what happened next.

_**That's why you need to help stop Itex, Max and save the world.**_

_Yeah, so all the credit can go to Jeb. Shut up and let the woman work._

I stepped up to the platform where I would have a retinal scan. Marian had never been to the Itex headquarters, but they had taken a retinal scan in advance.

"State your name please." Came a femine but robotic voice.

"Marian Winger." I rasped, with Marian's New Yawk accent. A light moved left and right on my open eye.

"State your purpose."

"I have a meeting with the director."

"State what items you have with you."

"A purse and a briefcase."

"Please place them on the tray to be scanned." A metal tray popped out around waist level.

I placed them calmly on the tray. It slid back in leaving no trace in the wall that there was something in there. It popped back out.

"Please step forward when greens light indicates everything is clear. Please enjoy your stay."

It was all could do from snort. Instead, I stood there coolly and calmly. A green light popped out from over my head and a door slowly opened. If it hadn't been for my raptor vision I would have never seen any outline of a door.

People on the outside didn't even have working TV service, but Itex had the best technology out there. It was sick.

I stepped forward and found myself in a plain while room with a fancy metal detector and a guard dressed in a while uniform, clutching a black stick. He was African American and his skin stood out from his white background. Sterile white light streamed from fluorescent lights from above.

"Hello Miss Winger." The guard nodded, motioning me to walk under the metal detector.

Nudge's bugs better not be detectable. There was no perceivable way of getting out, since the door had shut tightly behind me, and the room was actually surrounded by glass and pure concrete behind that. Even I couldn't break through the combination.

I smiled cooly and walked under it. The thing went off.

The guard stepped up swiftly, brandishing his stick. "Do you have any belts, keys, or implants?"

I shook my head then looked down at my hand. Nudge's tracker in my palm had a 70 chance of getting detected, so she had given me a iron ring to wear on my middle finger. That should throw off the stick he was sure to pass over my body.

I smiled sheeplishly. "I think it's my ring." I lifted my hand to show him.

He smiled back. "I'm gonna have to wave you over just in case."

I shrugged brightly and held my arms out. "Anything for security."

When the stick passed over my hand, the thing beeped loudly. He passed it over again with the same results.

He stepped back, satisfied. "You're free to go through."

With those words, a buzzing came from my left and a door slowly opened. It would be stupid to have a door right in front where everyone expects it. I picked up my briefcase, nodded to the guard and stepped through the door.

Everything was blue. People in business suits milled around and there were large windows in the lobby that streamed in artificial sunlight. The lobby was huge, with a a large circle in the middle. I recongized it immediately as a speed elevator.

A desk wrapped around it and had a huge sign over it. INFORMATION, it read. I was about to head for it, when I heard a voice to my right.

"Marian!"

I turned to see an other woman come towards me with her arms spread wide. She hugged me and I broke into a smile and hugged back.

"Finally in the flesh!" The woman stepped back and looked at me. "Marian!"

I laughed and took a step back to, pretending I was elated to see her. "Director Lynn!"

I was face to face with the director. I wanted to punch her face in.


	43. One Messed Up Family

Fang stopped, his shoes sinking into the leaves that covered the ground like a noisy blanket. He held up his hand, signaling Marcus they had reached their destination.

"Finally," Marcus whispered under his breath.

Fang smiled and slipped out of his backpack and sat down heavily. He made up his mind to just deal with Marcus, for Max.

"I guess I'll take first watch then." Marcus stated, then walked to a tree a little ways off and plopped down.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Fang was about to say something, but Marcus broke it first.

"Why does she hate you so much?" He asked.

Fang crinkled his brow. "What do you mean?"

A chuckle lightly wafted out of the darkness. "I mean she hates you man. Truly, truly hates your guts. I've never seen her that mad. What did you do?"

Fang sighed. "It's complicated."

Marcus shifted. "We have time."

"Max is now in deep cover. Repeat, Max has made it in." Nudge's voice crackled in both their ears. They both flinched and stiffened.

Fang sighed. "Copy that, Nudge. We are in position also."

"Okay, good luck, Fang. Marcus."

The two men retreated into their own personal thoughts, both worrying about what could happen to the woman they had become attached to. She was in the place they had attributed as their own personal hell. Both of them wanted to pick up, storm the place and bring her out of there. But they both knew that was impossible.

"We were fifteen. We were a Flock."

Marcus jumped, then calmed down, realizing it was only Fang talking.

"It was Me, Iggy, Nudge, Angel, and the Gasman. Max was our leader. One night when we were camping out, recovering from an eraser attack, Jeb visited me. He was a scientist for Itex and is Max's father. He said that Max had to save the world. That we were a distraction. That the only reason she wasn't taking risks was because she didn't want to gamble with our lives."

Marcus just sat there. He had never known this about Max.

"I personally didn't care if Max saved the world or not. We would still survive. But then Jeb told me that when he had created her, he had placed a kind of time lock in Max. If she didn't save the world by a certain time, she would die. Her genetic makeup would unravel and she would die."

Marcus was stunned. "And you said he was her _father_?!"

Fang chuckled lightly. "If he couldn't use her, he would make sure nobody else could."

Marcus sat there. "No offense man, but that is seriously screwed up."

Fang nodded. "The only choice we had was to kick her out so she wouldn't be tied to us. I didn't want to do it, but I didn't want her to die either. So we kicked her out."

"Well that would generate some hate but…"

"Yeah well, she got captured and tortured and experimented on brutally. We should have gone to help her, but Jeb hid it from us…" Fang trailed off, anger and sadness lacing his voice.

Marcus froze, horrified. "How long was she there?"

Fang cringed. "Four years…"

Marcus' breath left him. "What did they do to her?" His heart was breaking for her.

Fang took a deep breath. "Let's just say that her eyes aren't even her natural ones anymore."

Marcus felt the bile rise up in his throat. No wonder Max was so screwed up… Well, they all were…

* * *

I smiled widely at the director. "No, I didn't know that you import most of your food."

_And I couldn't care less._

Direction Lynn nodded like an overexcited toddler. "Yeah! Well here's your room. I'll see you in the meeting tomorrow."

I nodded and gave the director a little wave as I shut the door behind me. My breath escaped in a 'whoosh' and all of my built up tension escaped. I slumped against the door, sick of trying to be someone I was not.

My hand formed into a fist as I thought of clenching the director's neck…

_**Max, calm your self. That is not in the mission plans!**_

_Yeah, you can do that later!_

I growled at the warring voices, sick of them. I turned around and inspected my room. On my left and right were two full beds, facing each other… A vanity on the opposite wall… A door to a bathroom off to my right…. A picture of some flowers over the bare bed on my left…

_Cozy._

_**Shut up. We are not here so Max can have a cozy room!**_

I tried my best to ignore the voices while I checked for bugs with a pen Nudge had given me for that purpose.

_Well, I'm sorry! I just want her to have some comfort before she dies!!_

_**She's not going to die!**_

I bit my lip and tried to stay calm. I was going crazy…insane… loco…

_Yes she is and you know it!_

_**You don't know anything!**_

_Oh yeah?!_

_**YEAH!**_

No bugs, just a crazy person…

_Shut up!_

_**No YOU shut up!**_

BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!! I screamed mentally and fell onto the bed to the right, holding my head, and wished that I could just pass out.


	44. Hell on Earth

I shot up out of bed, waking up from a dream about a Hell that consisted of white walls and antiseptic. Then, I realized where I was.

My own Hell on Earth.

Craaaaap!

I could still smell the antiseptic even though I was in a completely different wing. The Director had showed me the wing where their main School still operated. She had said it was their medical labs, and where they worked on cures for diseases that were popping up from the nuclear fallout. I didn't believe her, but what made me sick is that she would only give the cures to the people that _she_ thought were important for the "New World Order".

Tell that to the homeless bum on my street corner who has bleeding boils all over his body and you have to give him a 30 feet berth, or else you could wind up getting infected with a whole slew of things he carries. Or tell the woman whose baby wandered too close to the contaminated river and ended up mutating and dying that _her_ kid wasn't important.

Or lie to the bird woman who grew up in one of your institutions that you never experimented on poor helpless kids. But don't expect her to believe you when out of the corner of her eye the bird woman sees a poor kid being tasered to death just because they have an extra arm.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm down my rising anger.

_**That's why you need to save the world, Max. It's because you care about those people. Not many people, who have the power to do something, care.**_

_Geez, it is nonstop for you, isn't it? Right as she wakes up, you have to butt into her thoughts!_

_**So do you!**_

_I am her. So essentially you're butting into my thoughts too. GET OUT OF MY THOUGHTS!_

_**No! Max, tell Beast that I don't have to get out of your head.**_

_I am a part of Max!_

_**But you're not fully her!**_

I pinched the bridge or my nose, feeling a migraine coming on. How about we do Max a favor and try not to argue today, huh? I felt like I was dealing with two year olds. I swore right then I would never have children.

_**But Max, it's a great honor to be able to share your life with children.**_

_You mean you want her to ruin her body for ungrateful, snotty nosed brats?_

The voice gasped. _**How dare you call little bundles of joy, brats?!**_

_Well I understand the whole 'have a child, pass on your seed, and preserve the race' but if the girl doesn't want one…_

Guys, what did I just ask?

_**Sorry, Max.**_

_Yeah, sorry. But the voice started it!_

_**That is such bull!**_

SHUT UP! If you guys don't shut up, I swear I will jump off the side of the building, ruining the voice's plans for me to save the world, and the fact Beast is supposed to keep me alive!

The voices were silent. I had to threaten suicide for them to shut up!

Thank you!

I checked my watch. It was 7:30. My meeting was at eight. I stumbled to the bathroom, barely to keep my eyelids open. My eyelashes were weighed down by the crust that developed over the night. I looked hung over or something to that effect.

I washed my face and prepared to slip into my character of Marian Winger once again.

* * *

The Director greeted me outside my room. "Hi Marian! I was just about to knock!"

I smiled and shrugged. "What can you do?"

Director laughed. "I guess not much. Are you ready for the meeting?"

I held up my laptop case. "As ready as I'll ever be!"

"Okay, let's go!"

Wait, I was being escorted? Craaaap.

You faithful readers at home may not realize this, but the Director is extremely annoying. She's like Nudge but louder and more pathetic. I would say I missed Nudge but what I really missed was silence. Beautiful silence, away from the annoying voices in my head, away from Nudge, the Director and just… EVERYONE!

* * *

The director led me to a wooden door. A stoic man stood to the side of it, his arms crossed behind his back. His almost bleach blond hair was cropped irregularly, so a lock of hair hung over his right eye, but it looked good on him. His features were sharp and angular and his eyes were one of those icy blue, almost gray. His gaze was fixed on the opposite wall and only flickered to us briefly.

He reminded me of those military people who even when they retire still have the same posture… and attitude… and biceps.

This guy biceps were huge! And huge in a very appealing, hot way. Oy vey. My hormones were going crazy won't they?

Bad Max! Very, very bad Max!

The Director practically skipped up to the guy. "Marian this is Omega Agemo, head of security! Omega this is one of our defense contractors!"

Omega tore his gaze from the wall and turned to shake my hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

I smiled and shook his hand. "No offense or anything, but isn't your name just Omega, Omega?"

His lips quirked. "Or Agemo, Agemo."

"Touché."

Then it hit me. This guy wasn't normal. The way he stood, carried himself… that was how all the experiments from Itex carried themselves. Half defeated, but confident that they could kick the crap out of a normal civilian. We were just weird like that.

There was a flicker in his eye and I think he saw it in me too. I tried my best to calm my suddenly racing heart. After all, he couldn't have really seen anything… Hopefully.

I nodded to him and followed the Director into the conference room. Omega followed and closed the door behind us, taking a seat in the back. The conference room essentially just had a large oval table in the center, desk chairs around the table, and to my right was a screen for projections and presentations.

I present to you, the most boring room in the world!

Three people stood up. Two women and a man with flaming red hair. The way the stood… they were experiments too.

"Marian, these are our dedicated business people. They are very good at what they do!" She introduced me and there was a lot of hand shaking.

"This is Mara Santos," a Hispanic looking woman shook my hand, "Rain Armstrong, and Blake Hoyt." The red head or orange head, I should say, shook my hand.

Eww. I think I just got cooties.

_Aww, come on! You didn't say that when Omega shook your hand!_

Yeah, but I'm saying that because TONS of people shook my hand.

_Four?_

Yeah!

The voice chuckled.

Whatever. I buckled in for a very boring meeting.

* * *

The meeting was all about how the defense around the building was working perfectly…. Blah, blah, blah… The number of militant attacks were going down…. Blah, blah, blah…. More and more people that Itex had planned to die were dying… blah, You guys are sick, blah… They needed some weapons that I could provide.

It was finally my time to speak! I opened my mouth to do so, but the Director cut me off, an evil glint in her eye.

"What we are going to unveil, I think we won't need that many new weapons." She whispered.

That stuck me with a sense of dread and nausea for a very long time.

* * *

The Director looked at me. "Can you go back to your room by yourself? I have some things to tie up here."

I nodded, feeling very much like a little kid who gets to go potty by themselves for the first time. I packed up my laptop and my notes and headed out the door. I wanted to get out of there as fast as I could. I thought I was about to puke from the words the Director had said. Things were about to get bad.

After I had taken a few turns I sensed someone behind me. Before I knew it, I was being pinned against the wall by my neck.

"Traitor!"


	45. Run In

Oh. My. Freaking. Goodness. I feel bad about not updating. I mean it… I really do…. I guess I could blame a new school and my parents or that my inspiration was lacking (which it was) but I'm not. I'm just going to update. Hope you like it. 

Oh and thanks a bunch to all my freakin' awesome reviewers! Whenever I can't write I read the reviews (which inspired me again tonight). So thanks to: Mkitkat, Isolde Eris, R3AlLyB0R3Dp3rs0n, Dragonkey258, Taeniaea, Kitkino86, Where-the-crow-flies, alica, Darkhottie06, Fangalicious, heartlessuninveitabledarkness (Phew long name to type), mrs edward cullenxxx, Scarlytt, kawaiisenshi33, BlueyGooz, AnGel oF mAdNeSs, and last but certainly not least bibliocrazed!

Thanks guys!

_

* * *

_

The Director looked at me. "Can you go back to your room by yourself? I have some things to tie up here."

_I nodded, feeling very much like a little kid who gets to go potty by themselves for the first time. I packed up my laptop and my notes and headed out the door. I wanted to get out of there as fast as I could. I thought I was about to puke from the words the Director had said. Things were about to get bad._

_After I had taken a few turns I sensed someone behind me. Before I knew it, I was being pinned against the wall by my neck._

"_Traitor!"_

* * *

My hands flew to the iron arm that was crushing my neck and all the warning bells went off in my head.

This is not good. This is not good. This is SO FRACKING NOT GOOD!

My eyes flew to my attacker, the one who had called me a traitor. My heart beat loudly in my ears, and I fought for each breath. My eyes locked with the pale blue ones of the security chief, Omega.

Oh this REALLY was not good. But I think I said that already didn't I?

_Max, just kill him and run._

_**Max, you cannot let him know you are an experiment! This mission must succeed at all costs!**_

_This is her survival we're talking about here!_

I was getting a headache and my vision was getting all blurry. I looked down to Omega's hip where a gun was strapped in. I told my voices that I would make good on my suicide promise. They shut up.

I gathered enough breath and rasped; "I don't know what you're talking about."

Omega's face was a mask of pure unadulterated hatred. He leaned in close and it was only then I noticed there were no cameras around. Therefore there would be no proof 'Marian Winger' was murdered.

"I know what you are. I can practically smell it on you. Traitor."

Traitor was such a nasty word. I wasn't _that_ bad.

* * *

Marcus was still reeling from what Fang had told him. His heart was breaking for her and he didn't know how to respond. The best he could do was make sure Max got out of there alive. Maybe then they would talk.

A part of him wanted to kill Fang for leaving her like that even if they were just kids. Nobody should ever do that to someone else. Ever.

Fang watched Marcus out of the corner of his eye. He had taken the news well all things considered. Fang was dead so that was good all things considered.

He rubbed his neck uneasily. A small sprinkling of stubble reminded him that it had been such a long time since he had seen Max. He had been just a kid then (therefore no facial hair to speak of), and not a day went by that Fang wished that he had been a smarter kid. Max was a blessing and he hadn't seen that.

He should have stayed with her. He should-

"Guys," Nudge's voice invaded both of the men's thoughts, "Max is in trouble."

* * *

Ren sat in a tree, holding his crossbow, his fingers tracing the little dents in his favorite weapon. It had seen him through some tough times. But forbid him from getting all sentimental. He was supposed to big, bad Ren after all.

If only he could have been half as strong when his sister… No. He was on a mission. No time for bygones, even if it had shattered his world.

The teenager was wearing his comfortable slightly baggy clothes. He had a green, long sleeve shirt on, hiding his second weapon, a metal claw. His camouflage pants and combat boots completed the ensemble.

His partner, Krystal was skipping around the base of the tree, completely bored. Ren was trying to decide if he should shoot her or not. Just to make her shut up. But instead he growled.

"They're going to hear you if you don't shut up."

Krystal, also a fox hybrid looked up innocently. "I'm bored."

"That is none of my concern. If you get us captured then it will be some of my concern and you don't want to get on my bad side."

She smiled brilliantly. "If it will get rid of my boredom then I will do my best to get on your bad side."

Ren spat in disgust as Krystal returned to her mindless skipping. Nudge's voice cut through the silence.

"Guys, Max is in trouble."

Ren could almost see Krystal jump for joy. Her boredom was taken care of.

* * *

I tried the innocent approach again. "I really don't know-"

Omega leaned in harder, and it was all I could to keep myself upright. My breathing came in little gasps and all I could see was an outline of Omega's once handsome face.

"Don't give me that bull. You're an avian hybrid."

Then he pulled me off the wall, taking his arm off my neck, and pulled me flush to himself. I took in a big breath of air and my vision returned. I barely registered he clutched me so close that I could feel his breathing. Omega's hands splayed across my back and they pressed into my wings, giving him all the proof he needed. My eyes widened and for the first time since I had escaped from the school, fear flowed through my veins.

"Told you."

"Please." I started, my accent gone. Then I remembered that there were no cameras or any kind of surveillance equipment in this section of the hallway. I leaned up, my lips almost touching his ear. "Don't you hate it?" I whispered as each of my breaths came with a slight wheezing sound.

My neck hurt but I ignored it. Pain was familiar and I took some comfort in it. Confidence flooded me as I tried a different approach.

"Don't you hate being told what to do? To serve those who treat you like an animal? Do they even show you some respect? Don't you remember being experimented on?" I was fishing, but I hoped I could touch a nerve. It could, no _would_, cost me my life if I couldn't.

"Shut up."

"It's not like you get paid. You're not normal. To them, you're property. If you didn't have those perfect genes, if your eye twitched funny they would terminate you, wouldn't they? All those years of hard work and devotion down the drain. No matter how much you plead and beg, all they want is to hear you scream."

"I said shut up." Omega growled.

"So you try to get some kind of affection or attention by being the best. By being Omega. But if you make one little mistake… They would kill you in a heartbeat, their smiles and the affection you worked so hard for, gone." I was going on some of the emotions that I had thought were buried. It stung and tears threatened to spill out. But I would keep going.

Emotions were for the weak.

"I said shut up!" Omega raged and for the second time that day, he threw me into the wall. He pinned me by my shoulders. My head hit the wall and blood trickled out of my mouth and down my lip. I had bit my tongue.

We stood there for a few seconds, both breathing heavy. His eyes spied my blood and his eyes widened.

I looked at him almost in pity. "Why don't you disobey?" I asked softly.

He was still staring at the blood. "I don't know how to." He answered so quietly I almost didn't catch it.

"Then let me help you."

He nodded and stepped back letting me go. "I'm sorry."

I nodded pulling out a handkerchief that had come with the suit. "You can pay me back by taking me to lunch." I smiled, my old accent back, acting as nothing had ever happened. "I'm starving." With that I wiped the blood off and straightened my hair.

He smiled, realizing what I was up to. "Okay."

With that, we brushed off our useless emotions, pretended that little run in hadn't jarred us completely and pretended everything was fine. It was a total lie.

It was only later that I realized that in a way I had revealed more to a total stranger than I had to Nohemi or even Marcus. Huh. Life or death situations are funny like that.


	46. The End

**Soo I haven't updated since… Oh yeah. Heh _2008_. Now, someone else would probably let this story go. The writing (kinda) makes me cringe sometimes and there are _so_ many loose ends to tie up. But this is probably going to haunt my soul until I finish it.**

**If you still want to read it here are a few warnings: I am probably not going to be able to resolve everyone's character arc. I don't have time to read everything again but I remember where I was going with this. Also, my writing has changed in a major way. So the sarcasm might be different. Third, I believe this is will be the second to last chapter just because I had always planned it that way.**

**So if you're still reading, thanks. I really couldn't let this one die.**

**Max Ride does not belong to me and thank goodness, or else it would be a lot different haha.**

* * *

_"You can pay me back by taking me to lunch." I smiled, my old accent back, acting as nothing had ever happened. "I'm starving." With that I wiped the blood off and straightened my hair._

_He smiled, realizing what I was up to. "Okay."_

_With that, we brushed off our useless emotions, pretended that little run in hadn't jarred us completely and pretended everything was fine. It was a total lie._

_It was only later that I realized that in a way I had revealed more to a total stranger than I had to Nohemi or even Marcus. Huh. Life or death situations are funny like that._

* * *

It didn't mean I trusted Omega. I mean come on. But I did not mind going out to lunch with him. He was handsome. I was pretty good looking even though I smelled like a smoldering ashtray.

We went through the cafeteria line pretty quickly and I purposefully sat down next to a vending machine. I hadn't seen a working one in years. But the white noise it gave off was a great way of scrambling listening devices. Mostly Omega's but I didn't mind cutting Nudge out for once.

She heard me sleeping. That was creepy enough.

He sat in the chair across from me and pushed his tray away enough to lean his arms on the table. "So, _Marian_," his eyes twinkled as he stressed my fake name, "what's it like in New York?"

His smile was so disarming; I didn't know whether to be flustered or suspicious. I chose suspicious because well-_Itex_. That smile had probably been coded into his DNA. Anyway, I had said most of those things under duress.

It didn't mean we bonded. Right?

Crap, this place was driving me crazy.

_You're already crazy._

Thanks.

I speared a piece of steamed cauliflower and chewed it thoughtfully. "Same ol', same ol'." I shrugged. " 'S, New York. Big, stinkin' city."

He leaned back and took a sip of his coffee. "Why don't you move?"

I raised a brow. What was he playing at? "Where? My company is in the city, not to mention the outlands are more dangerous than the cities."

He looked thoughtful and then suddenly, changed the subject. Now I know I had the emotional range of a two-year-old but if he was going to be so bipolar, then this was going to be a long lunch. I never figured out what he was playing at and it bugged me. But the rest of the lunch was fine.

He was funny in a fatalistic kind of way and the voices thankfully shut up.

But as I downed the last of my water and pushed my plate away, his teasing smile suddenly disappeared. Everyone sitting around us grabbed their trays. They all threw away their trash hurriedly and the mindless chatter faded.

The silence rang in my ears. The empty cafeteria felt so big it could swallow me whole. I grabbed the edge of the table and my eyes narrowed.

"What's going on, Omega, Omega?"

His face was clear of all expression. He did not answer me. The click, click, click of heels heading our way did.

The Director came around a corner and smiled at me. A posse of the mutants I had seen earlier flanked her. I wanted to punch her in the face and crack her pretty little nose. Or maybe Omega's first. Or maybe my own. I wanted to punch _somebody_.

I was really stupid. What, a pretty man smiles at me and then I forget that I am in enemy territory? Where was Beastie when I needed her?

Silence.

The voice was quiet too.

OH of all the times to abandon me!

"Oh, Maaaax," the Director drawled. "You really thought you could fool us. You can change everything about yourself, but you cannot change your DNA."

I stayed silent.

"Biometric scanners. Ever heard of them?" She laughed and it made my ire increase. "Of course not. Anywho, come with me." She snapped her fingers and the mutants turned to follow her.

I stayed where I was. There was no way in hell I was following her. My mind tried to think of escape routes. There was another door on the other side of the room. I would have to jump over tables, but that would be pie.

I locked eyes with Omega. He was reclined in his seat, staring at me. His body language was loose, relaxed. But his gaze was predatory, tracking any minute movement. My chest heaved as my adrenaline kicked in.

Fight or flight, Baby. I was pretty good at the fighting but against mutants that had been experimented on all of their lives? I liked my nose where it was, thanks. I didn't want to be Max according to Picasso.

We stared at each other for who knew how long. I could see his chest rise and fall with his more controlled breath.

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

In-

I dashed out of my chair and had one foot on a chair and another on a table when Omega tackled me. He threw his whole body on me and my head smacked so hard against the table my vision blurred. I think my ankle was twisted. It was the second time that day that I had gotten my head smashed against something.

He circled his arms around my body and pinned my arms to my sides. I snarled at him and the Director laughed.

"Oh Max, _honestly_. I'm not going to kill you right _now_. I have to show you something first."

Omega picked me up and carried me. I was pressed so hard to his chest I couldn't breathe. But they were ten kids of stupid if they thought that would stop me. I thrashed and kicked his legs so hard I heard something crunch.

"Stop it," he hissed as he dragged me down the hall.

Uh, _no_.

He pinched my neck and everything turned black.

* * *

When I woke up, I was standing in front of a big viewing window. I had been ready to fight my way out of this place, but I stopped when I saw the face behind the window.

Amy? What in the name of-

I turned my head and saw someone in a white coat.

G.?

I felt faint but Omega and Blake were holding me up by my arms. The Director was standing right next to G. with a huge smile on her face. When she spoke, her voice was hazy.

I was so dizzy… it was hard to even focus on her face… I stared at her lips, but everything seemed to be going… slow…

"Nice to see you with us Max. I'd like to introduce you to one of my foremost and renowned scientists, Gowan Mbeki… He used to be with us but we lost contact during the war. Thankfully," her high-pitched voice made me flinch, "he's brought us a goodwill gesture!"

She gestured grandly towards the glass. I didn't look. Didn't want to look.

G. was _right there_, staring at me. He did not look pitying, he did not look sad. He did not give me that soft smile he reserved for me.

He was looking at me like he hated me. Like I was the gum on the bottom of his shoe. No, I was lower than that. The venom in his eyes said that I was not worthy to even _exist_.

I may be a compulsive liar at times, but in my vulnerable state, I couldn't lie to myself. It hurt. It was like he had taken his crowbar to my gut.

I looked away to get away from the feeling and accidentally looked through the glass.

There was a person strapped to what looked like a vertical hospital bed. Her hospital gown was tattered and it greedily soaked up the blood oozing out of her many cuts. She looked tiny. Frail.

Then she threw her head back and started screaming. I couldn't tell why, but her whole body seized up like she was in immense pain. We couldn't hear anything but I wanted to pitch forward. My cauliflower threatened to come back up. The hands on my arms kept me on my feet.

They took the sweetest, most innocent person on the face of this planet and were torturing her! I looked over at G. He looked like he couldn't care less about Amy.

I could kill him. I _would _kill him!

I lurched forward, but the Director started speaking.

"Isn't it beautiful, Maximum? _That's_ our plan. Ever hear of Ebola? It causes sores to pop up all over a person's body and the person starts bleeding out. It's all very painful. This-this is more deadly. It works in a matter of hours. The viruses we introduced at the beginning were the lead up to this! Everybody-and I mean everybody-except the chosen few will perish from this."

She giggled and that's when I knew that she was just as crazy as me.

"It will truly be a New World!" She breathed.

I watched helplessly as Amy thrashed against her bonds. Bile flooded my mouth. When I first met Amy, I liked her. I always felt responsible for her even though I fought the emotions tooth and nail. I always thought G. would protect her…

Her head snapped forward and her eyes met mine.

Something very peculiar happened. Time seemed to stop. I didn't feel the hands on my arms. I didn't hear the Director's giggling. The haze in my head cleared.

Her irises were red and they met mine.

At the back of my mind something registered. Something like… an explosion? A person in military camouflage ran up to the Director.

_"The perimeter and the stability of the building have been compromised!"_

_"Where is Gowan? I told you not to lose him!"_

Amy stared at me. She looked like she was in pain. She looked terrible.

She looked triumphant.

Her lips slowly spread into a feral grin. I felt myself returning it as everything went red.

_Kill her. End this._ She said.

_It would be my pleasure._ I responded and our connection was released.

Sound flooded back to me as I wrenched my right arm. I threw Blake into the opposite wall and turned to grab Omega's shoulder. I pulled him forward and heard his head crunch into the ground. Two of the other mutants-I didn't care to remember their names-rushed towards me. Dispatching them was cake. There were only two military men left.

They raised their guns at me and fired. I involuntary flinched at the sound, but I was not myself anymore. I was Beast. Beast was me.

We were one. Twice as deadly. Amy had managed to unleash Beast but something happened where I was still in control of it.

It was strange, but hey as long as I could dodge bullets I wasn't going to ask questions.

I grabbed the first guy's gun, cracked him over the head and kicked the other man's feet from under him.

I aimed the gun at the Director. She smiled at me.

"You can never get rid of _progress_. My virus and my ideals will live on."

"Maybe so, but your time has ended. Bitch."

Then I shot her in the head.

**_Max. You need to get out of there. Apparently, someone set explosives and they had the right idea. Burning the place is the only effective way of destroying the virus once and for all._**

Hmm. Escape this hellhole, or blow up? Hard choice.

I looked around the hallway. Sirens were going off, explosions were rocking the building, everything was chaos. On my left, men with guns and tactical armor were storming towards me. My right was fairly clear, but I risked a look at the glass. G. was in there, dragging Amy out. He looked over and gave me a quick smile.

Good ol' G. Always looking out for me.

I smiled back because I knew who set the explosives.

**_Max!_**

Right.

I sent a wave of bullets towards the men and set off running at top speed towards the wall. I was getting closer, closer until something pushed me off course.

I fell heavily on my right side and slid a few feet down the slick linoleum towards another intersecting hallway. The gun clattered away. Beast roared, ready to take this person down. I saw Omega standing over me, tall and proud with blood dripping down his face.

He pointed and I tensed. He pointed again and I peeked behind me. At the end of this hallway was a window. A rare find in this building, even if it was reinforced, bullet-proof glass. He glared at me and I glared back before scrambling to my feet and taking off. I ripped off my blazer and my blouse soon followed. I had no time to tear out new wing holes.

Almost there. I breathed in deeply, leapt and crashed through the glass.

I had a few moments of free fall as my wings unraveled. Then, with one harsh stroke, I was airborne.

I flew away as fast as I could. There was one last crash that shook my teeth and sent a strong shockwave that almost toppled me over.

Itex had fallen.

I had done it. She was finally gone.

* * *

When flying had become too much, I tucked my wings in and let myself free fall into a copse of trees. I landed on a rough patch and a twig poked into my side.

I turned and coughed. My wings were aching, my head was pounding and I really just wanted a really good nap.

**_Max. This is Jeb. Everyone has come back to base except you. It's safe, I'll guide you._**

"Just give me a few minutes, Jeb." I rasped.

**_No, Max. I really need to talk to you. It's important._**

_Tell her now._ Beast growled and I wholeheartedly agreed with her for once.

There was a sigh, like Jeb was talking into a microphone. **_Well, the thing is Max, you didn't really save the world._**

He would have to try harder if he wanted to shock me. I started out laughing and ended up coughing up bile. I rolled onto my side to let anything come out.

Had they drugged me?

**_No. It's just… It's a condition._**

"What is?"

**_I don't know how else to describe it. It was a condition we had when we made you. You were supposed to save the world by your twenty-first birthday and if you didn't… well… some of the Whitecoats didn't see any use for you._**

_What does that mean?_

"It means I die, Beastie. I die."

I had cut off the head of the cockroach by killing the director. But I hadn't set the explosives. I hadn't destroyed the Itex buildings around the world. I hadn't destroyed the person carrying the destructive virus. I had practically done nothing.

And now I was going to die. Because my twenty-first birthday was yesterday. I wasn't drugged. I was dying. Even if I did all of that, cleared the earth of Itex scum in one foul swoop, I still would die.

Because I was supposed to do it _yesterday._ Today was too late.

Well... that was anti-climatic.

Beast would hear none of it. It took over my body and started tearing into the trees and screaming its head off. Jeb was screaming **_Code Alpha-Delta-5-2-9-82! _**But it was too late for that. I was dying and nothing he could say would calm the beast.

Animals are the most dangerous when they are at the end.

Beast threw us onto the ground and started thrashing and rooting around on the ground like a wild boar. I was getting cut and bruised but I didn't care. I had fought so _hard_ just to survive. I had fought for my right to exist. And now I was going to die because some whitecoats at Itex thought I wasn't worth keeping past my expiration date.

Fuck them! Fuck, fuck, **_FUCK!_**

I vaguely realized I was crying. I couldn't tell who was doing it. Beast or me. It didn't really fucking matter. I sobbed into the dirt all the same, crying because I had hated my life and now I realized that I didn't want to lose it either.

I think I pissed myself. My body's functions weren't working. I had felt off this morning, so all the fighting I did must had sped up the process.

Beast thrashed until I calmed it. It understood what I was trying to say. It picked me up, brushed me off and took off into the sky. We flew off as fast as we could. If I was going to die, I wanted to die flying. That and killing was the only thing I was good at.

I don't know how long I spent hurtling through the air. It could have been days, it could have been seconds. But Jeb was in my ear the whole time. Telling me why he had convinced the Flock to leave me. **_I thought that without them, you could get the job done quicker._** How sorry he was that he wasn't able to fix me in time. **_I tried so hard to find a cure while you were gone_****. **How the timeline didn't matter, he still thought I had made it possible for the good guys to win. **_It takes a lot of people to save the world. I don't know why we thought you could do it on your own._**

He also promised me that he would fight the good fight in my name. There was still so much to be done. They needed to clear the world of the rest of the Itex Corporation and their followers. They needed to rebuild. They needed to rehabilitate the mutants that were left behind.

He started to give me messages from Marcus and Nudge and Nohemi and everyone who wanted to say good-bye. I told him to stop it and he listened for once.

But he did tell me about Amy. They had to quarantine her because the virus was highly contagious. G. had stayed by her side the whole time and was there when she finally succumbed. He, of course, got sick too. His last words were about how he loved me.

I was too tired and too heartbroken to cry.

Maybe they were my new Flock, those orphans and drug dealers.

It was too late to accept that now.

* * *

When the end came, blinding pain shot up my wings and shoulders to my fingertips. I was still flying as fast as I could and it seemed to make the pain worse. I shrieked in agony. It felt like my whole upper body was on fire. Wave after wave of pain attacked me until I was sobbing from it.

It felt like my wings were burning. I tried to blink the tears out of my eyes and realized I was falling. Feathers started floating in the air and I realized that my wings were falling apart.

It was then, hurtling towards the ground that I finally puked. I puked and cried and pissed myself again.

It was a horrible experience, dying. I know that sounds stupid and obvious but it's the only way I can think of to describe it. It was terrifying. I had lived all my life reveling in my physical attributes. I was stronger than everyone else, more in control. I could kill and not even break a sweat doing it.

I never imagined being weak. Being weak was horrifying. Being weak got you killed.

Those whitecoats spent so much time trying to decrease the chances of that. But they couldn't change my fundamentals. They couldn't change my expiration date.

I'm sure there was a deep philosophical lesson buried in that statement somewhere.

I didn't have time to ponder it. Because the ground was only feet away now and I had the velocity of a space rocket.

When I hit, I hit hard in a haze of red and my Beast moaning in sorrow.

I was no more.

* * *

**One more chapter left. I swear, this and the next chapter I've had in my head since I started. Thanks for reading guys.**


	47. Epilogue

***Max Ride belongs to James Patterson and not to me.***

**So wow, this is the end. It took so long but I hope the wait was worth it. I want to thank you guys for all the reviews, each and every one of you. I know I did not answer all of them, but I do read and cherish every single one. In fact, one review prompted me to go on this writing spree and finish this darned thing!**

**I want to thank everyone who read this story, who put it on your story alerts, who favorited this and who even put this in your communities. Thanks guys. This has been my most successful story so far, all thanks to YOU. You are great. You put up with my long spaces between updating, my unfunny sarcasm and my drastic changes in tone.**

**Again, thanks.**

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Epilogue:

He found her in a bar in the middle of the country. She had settled in a tiny town, off of any major roads or highways.

It made sense in a way. She had spent so many years in the city. Maybe it was time for a change.

She was a bartender for the rough and burly types who worked in the nearby mines. Omega expected her to be holding off their advances, using that forked tongue of hers as well as her superhuman strength. She was a fiery one and he expected to be burned alive for even stepping in her presence.

It did not happen like that _at_ _all._

In fact, when the little bell above the door announced his presence, she looked up from wiping down the counter and smiled. Not smirked. Not grinned. _Smiled_. With teeth. Like it was good to see him.

Omega was thrown. Not only by how attractive she looked with all the anger drained from her face. But by the fact… she… _smiled_.

She must not have recognized him, he realized reluctantly.

He sat down on one of the aging stools at the bar and studied her face. She looked very, very different. There was no smoldering hatred hidden behind her eyes. She looked a little blank. A little lost. A little friendly.

Omega swallowed and looked at the wood counter underneath his fingers. He was not expecting this.

"What can I get you, Stranger?" She asked him cheerfully. "We have beer, whiskey… uh, beer." She laughed. "You know how the supply thing goes, especially over here."

He nodded like he dealt with that type of thing often. "Yeah." His voice was harsh, deep.

He peered at the other people hunched over the bar. They were dirty and looked like they had fought a few rounds with Time and lost. He felt out of place. His leather jacket looked fairly clean and there were no holes on any parts of this clothing. He hadn't had a showed in weeks but he had dipped into a clean stream or two when wet wipes couldn't cut through the smell. His gaze kept moving, ignoring the distrust in everyone's eyes.

He saw one man clutching a mason jar full of a white liquid.

She caught his gaze and laughed again. "You really are looking for the good stuff." She leaned over the counter conspiratorially.

Her hair fell over her shoulder. It was longer than Marian's business cut and the ends were now scraggly. But Omega decided her hair looked better that way. Wait… was her blouse… _pink_?

"Now, I don't like to tell any stranger that comes through here about our special stash. But you look like a respectable fellow. Tom-the owner- he makes the best moonshine this side of the Mississippi if I do say so myself. Would you like a taste?"

She smelled fresh, clean. He was breathing it in greedily before he realized she had asked him a question. How was he going to talk to her when she didn't even remember she hated him?

"How much?"

She waved her finger at him like he was a naughty boy. "Nuh-uh. First taste and if you like it, I'll charge you whatever I want. Got it?"

"Uh sure."

With eyes full of mirth, she headed off into the back and came back with his very own Mason jar. She poured a bit of the liquid into a shot glass and he could smell the pure alcohol from his stool.

She pushed the glass towards him and he tried to face it bravely.

Omega, like all the other experiments, was immune to the effects of alcohol. But that didn't mean that he could not taste it. He had tasted moonshine before. He was not exactly excited to try it again.

"When do you get off work?" He asked, half stalling.

"Already flirting with me and you're not even drunk. Try again, don't be a sissy."

The man next to Omega laughed and raised his glass in a toast.

"You tell him, Carol!" Someone from the back chimed in.

"I meant it." Omega said before downing the glass. It was like someone lit a fire in his esophagus. He winced and pretended his eyes weren't watering.

She leaned in and peered at his face. "Well, he's a little cross-eyed," she announced to the room. "Should we give him more?"

The drunken men roared their approval.

She grinned and pushed the Mason jar his way. "You earned it. Now pay up."

"How much?" He asked.

"Ten bucks if you want the whole thing."

"No, how much to I have to drink to ask you what time you get off today?"

There was a wolf-whistle from somewhere behind Omega's left shoulder.

She looked at him appraisingly. She was considering it, which was good. "Okay, look, I'm not looking for a boyfriend, okay?"

"She's already got me!" The man next to Omega slobbered.

"Yes. And I've already got Tim, Jean and Harold," the men nodded when they were mentioned, "so I don't need anyone else."

It took Omega a few seconds to realize that was the list of people who would beat him up if he tried anything, not the list of actual boyfriends.

"I just want to talk." Omega added hastily. He could take them, easy peasy but people in these parts didn't exactly like mutants. Especially since the only mutants they came in contact with used to be Itex's enforcers. Even he could not shrug off bullets buried in his back.

She pursed her lips and shook her head. "We can talk here, Lover-boy."

Okay, so maybe her attitude was still there.

Well, he was going to have to commit. "Do you know how you got here?"

"I walked, like I always do." She waved him off and moved to walk away.

He jumped up and clutched her wrist. His fingers easily wrapped around the frail bones and he flinched. She was so weak, even as she tried to pull out of his grasp.

"That's not what I meant. But you don't remember anything, do you? The Flock, Jeb, G., nothing."

She stopped and glared at him. By now her "boyfriends," drunk or not, were rising from their seats.

"I think you need to leave."

He let her go and nodded. "I think I do. I'll give Amy your best."

He was halfway to his truck before he heard the front door slam shut.

"Amy is dead!" She yelled at his back.

A small flicker of hope ignited in his chest and he couldn't snuff it out. He turned. Slowly.

She looked confused. Conflicted. She was biting her lip while glaring at him and he had to laugh. Everything she did was so unlike the woman he had known for just a couple of days.

"I don't know how I know that." She stated. "But I know she's dead. And I know I can't remember how I got here five years ago. And I can't remember who I am. But I know she's dead and I think you have answers."

He nodded and walked closer to her. "I know who you used to be."

"Who?" Her chin jutted out as she acted like she really didn't care. But she did. It was good to know her pride was still intact.

"You called yourself Maximum Ride and I think your Beast sacrificed itself to save you."

* * *

She got in his truck once her shift ended. She said good-bye to her boyfriends who were staring Omega down, tucked her tips in her shoe and climbed in Omega's beat-up Toyota.

They drove for a few days. She even pitched in to help him pay and pilfer gas and food. He took her to the middle of the woods. No one was around for miles and there was a clean stream running through the middle of the property. But his pride and joy was at the end of an overgrown path in the middle of the trees. He drove over foliage and avoided fresh saplings off-road to get to it.

It was a little cottage. It had one room plus a loft and it was so run down that it was pitiful. But it had a decent roof, even if the front door was a little lopsided. And a fireplace. And it was warm and full of supplies.

He hadn't talked about Max's past the whole way over. She had asked, and he had told her that he couldn't really say.

"I didn't know you that long. But I knew you at the end. I'll tell you more in the cabin."

Now they were here. In the cabin.

She poked around, kicked the wooden frame of the only bed. She inspected the stove and ducked into the cellar.

"What is all this?" She called up.

Omega walked down to the cellar and stood next to her. She was prodding a full IV bag with her finger.

"Medicine." He answered simply. "Vitamins. Cocktails of drugs to keep you alive."

She froze and looked at him. "Am I dying?"

"No. But you don't feel well do you?" He asked, peering into her face.

She did look sick. He noticed from the start, but the smiles she gave out distracted him. But he could tell she was lacking something. She hardly ate. She hardly slept. She was weaker than even a normal human.

She sighed. "I've always felt this way. I don't really understand what it's like not to be so tired all the time." She stared at the bags and then at him. "I think I'm ready for that explanation now."

He couldn't tell her everything. He could not explain his need to find her. He could not explain how what she said had buried so deep in his head that he heard her voice in his sleep. It would seem creepy. Weird.

Instead he told her a version of the truth. When she had disappeared, Jeb sent out search parties. Then, believing she was dead, he had put out a very nice reward asking for information. For a location of a body.

Omega had been wandering the city alone. He had escaped Itex, but he did not know what to do with his life. He spent every day coddled by an organization bent on world-wide destruction. He could join Jeb and the rebels. But he cringed at the thought of handing himself over to people he had considered to be the enemy all of his life.

But he saw the posters. He was intrigued. So he reluctantly had a long conversation with Jeb and finally decided that he could do it alone. It was hard, it was frustrating. No one had seen a bird woman. There was so much ground to cover, so many dead ends. But he needed something to do. The search for Max Ride had given him purpose, even if he was just looking for a body.

Two years in he found a large feather. It was hers. Three years in he found more. Four years in, he started hearing stories about folks stumbling across a dying woman lying in a pile of feathers. A month ago, he heard the last story-a folktale really, about a couple who had taken in a woman who had no memories except waking up in a local field hospital with a garbage bag full of feathers.

He tracked the couple down and was told about how their little "Carol" had moved a few towns over to start her new life.

And then he found her. She had smiled at him, and he knew that this woman was Max.

* * *

"How could the… the beast sacrifice itself?" She asked. It was the second day at the cabin. Omega had to move slowly, the information was just too overwhelming. Yesterday he had talked about his past. Today he talked about her past.

"It was something we-well the whitecoats had noticed. That an experiment could develop a Beast. The beast was there to protect the human part. They all thought it was kind of like having a split personality. But with more… tests… they realized that the Beast was a separate _entity._"

"I'm not following."

"It's like the Beast-the animal part- of a person detached itself from the human. It's like twins joined at the hip. Two parts of one whole."

She looked at Omega skeptically. "Oookay. So how did it sacrifice itself?"

Omega shrugged. "I don't know. All I know, is that sometimes, when it knew the body had a chance of being saved, it gave itself up. All the functions connected to the beast-the wings in your case-just… shut down. Stopped. And the body kept on going."

"That's why my wings fell apart." She whispered and the thought of it made Omega shudder.

* * *

Three days in she agreed to the IVs. She lay out on the twin bed and let Omega stick the needle into her arm. She shuddered, like she remembered how much she hated needles.

"I promise you," Omega soothed, "this cocktail will make you feel better. Two percent of your DNA has crumbled. The medicine will help rebuild it. Your DNA is very important and you cannot go without it for too long."

She looked vulnerable and it made Omega uncomfortable. "Will my wings grow back?" She asked in a soft voice.

"I honestly don't know. But you should stop feeling so sick."

"Okay."

* * *

Sometimes Omega wondered if he really should be doing this. Using pilfered Itex medicine to bring back terrible memories to this girl. She was nothing like Max. She seemed so nice. Innocent. Did he really have the right to remind her of her terrible past?

She said he did. She was adamant that he tell her everything he knew about her. She could not stand not being able to remember.

So five days in he gave her the medicine and watched her suffer.

"My body is on fire," she gasped. "Why am I in so much pain?"

Omega used a wet washcloth to gently wipe the sweat off her brow. "Your DNA is rebuilding itself and it's changing your whole inner structure. Your body is fighting it but at the same time, it wants the DNA to succeed."

"Is my Beast going to come back?"

"Maybe. She might not be the same though. Your beast surfaced because you were being tortured."

She looked up at him, risking a grin. He was sitting at her bedside, almost like a nurse. Almost like he cared.

"Are you going to torture me?" She asked.

"Does the pain from the medicine count?" His soft ministrations contradicted his snarky tone.

"No. Maybe. Maybe when I get my memories back, _I'll_ torture _you._"

Probably so.

* * *

Omega had come back from hunting and had entered with a few skinned pigeons slung over his back when she spoke.

"Well, if it isn't Omega, Omega."

He froze. That tone of voice wasn't the one that belonged to the innocent Carol who happened to be Max. It belonged to Max, the rouge experiment who shot the director.

He turned around and raised a brow, half relieved, half… _disappointed_? "That's me."

She watched him carefully from her spot on the bed. "So, a week and a half of being at your mercy. Why, Agemo, I didn't know you _cared_."

He shrugged, refusing to be baited. He turned away, despite his need to study her face. Was there as much anger as there was before? Did she hate him?

"So… tell me," she drawled. She reeked of danger. Her voice ripped into his back like daggers. He ignored it as he started cleaning the birds in a bucket of fresh water he had brought in from the well earlier. "Tell me, who put you up to this? Itex? Jeb?"

He shrugged again, feigning disinterest. "I only talked to Jeb once. He told me about Amy, about your New Flock v.s. old Flock problems. He tried to make me pity you so I would go out and look for you for him."

"Do you pity me?" She hissed.

"I didn't accept his offer." He replied calmly. "He doesn't even know I went to look for you, much less that you're alive."

"Do. You. Pity. Me?"

He stopped and turned towards her. "No. And yes. Mostly, I pity that you couldn't beat me in a fight."

She snarled and lunged towards him. He caught her just as her legs collapsed beneath her.

"Stop." He ordered. "You're not strong enough to stand, much less try to rip my throat out."

She glared at him as he laid her back down. But she didn't rip the IV out. She just turned to lie on her side.

"My back is throbbing," she muttered bitterly when he sent her a quizzical look. Omega decided to take it as a good sign.

* * *

"So tell me, who runs the world now?"

"Jeb." Omega answered. He had a bed set up in the loft and would come down so he could go outside and relieve himself in the morning. Max always tended to catch him with a question when he came back. "Fang and whats-his-face… Marcus? They're his second in command. Two Vice Presidents for one President. No Congress."

She chuckled hoarsely. The pain made her sound like a smoker. "Marcus and Fang working together? Pah. They're ridiculous."

She didn't mention anything about hating the either of them. Jeb said she hated Fang with a passion. Was her hatred gone? Or did she just not care?

"So what is our new nation called?" She asked after a beat of silence.

"It's now the New Republic of the United States of America." Omega commented with a small grin as he rooted around the kitchen for tea. He found the tea leaves and an ancient pot. Taking a match, he lit the stove and starting boiling the leaves.

"Wow, whatever happened to democracy?" Max rasped.

Omega grabbed a cup and cleaned out his battered strainer. "The old America was always a republic, not a full democracy, I'll have you know."

There was a wheezing chuckle behind him. "Oh look who got an education."

He turned around to check that Max wasn't choking. His smile slipped from his face, but she looked fine. She was laughing of her own volition? If Omega had a diary he would definitely put that strange occurrence in there. "Do you really want to discuss politics right now?"

"I don't ever want to discuss politics."

Silence fell as Omega let the water start boiling. He brought over a steaming cup as soon as it was ready and placed it on the nightstand by her head. He was pulling away when she grabbed his wrist. She squeezed it and he smiled at the strength she had accumulated already.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked, the previous mirth gone from her voice. "I owe too many people too many things and I don't want you to be one of them unless I know why."

He pulled his arm out of her grasp. He liked her but he wasn't about to let her manhandle him. "We've been screwed over by the same people. Remember what you said that day that you would help me?"

"I didn't mean it." She cut in. "I said that only for survival."

He shrugged. "I know. But it haunted me. I finally figured out how to disobey and in the end… I ended up alone. I've never been alone before."

She was gazing at him, her eyes narrowed. He was being _too_ honest, but he didn't care. He used the last argument he had.

"You never got to choose your Flock or even how you live your life, Max. It was always chosen because of fate. Now you can. I'll give you this cabin-no strings attached. You can live here for the rest of your life or move someplace else. If you want me to stay, I'll stay. If you want me to leave, I'll leave. That's it. The end."

She was trembling by now with the strain of looking at him. So she flopped back into the pillow and stared at the ceiling. It was quiet for such a long time, Omega thought she was already telling him to go.

"Are you saying we understand each other? That we've been through the same things, we're bonded or whatever?"

He snorted and sat down in his chair. "No. You inspired me to think for myself. I owed you one. I helped you get better. Debt paid. Now I'm talking about what happens _after_ you get better. Will you go back to the children who abandoned you? Will you go back to the friends you made because G. was the only person willing to help you out? Or will you finally choose for yourself?"

"… I've never had a choice before."

He breathed out. "Neither have I." And it terrified him. But he would not tell Max that. She wasn't bad company, but they we not exactly best friends either.

"You know an awful lot about my past."

Omega grinned. "Jeb's a talker. I think he started crying once or twice."

She snorted but laid in silence for a while. "I'll give you an answer once I'm healed."

"Fine."

* * *

She never did give him an answer. But she never kicked him out either. Sometimes he would leave, to go pick up supplies and he would be afraid that she left without a word. But she never did.

She was able to stand up by herself after a month. Feathers started peeking out of her skin after two. She had small stubs growing on her back after three and the smile she sent him was one of the greatest things he had ever seen. The beast never came back.

They built a garden together and never discussed the past. He fixed the parts of the roof that had rotted and she repainted and put new hinges on the front door. Sometimes they would get in Omega's truck and just drive around until the gas ran out. She hunted. He cooked.

They got in more arguments than they could keep track of. Since they were physical beings, she would try to push him around and he always stopped her.

"I'm not going to let you do that to me." He would growl. "You will respect me and I will respect you."

She stopped trying to hurt him. They both knew she could do some damage if she wanted to. But she never did. She respected him too much. He respected her too.

It was strange. Neither of them had been in a relationship of any kind based on mutual admiration. They had always been forced into something out of fear or desperation.

Well not anymore.

Max never gave him an answer, but she never kicked him out either. She never left when she went flying and he never disappeared when he went out.

It was hard work, being civil with each other. Everything wasn't rainbows or butterflies.

But Max finally had a choice. Live in hatred or live in the moment.

She chose the moment. It was hard. It was brutal. But she was not the same Max that she had been before. And she never forgot Beastie's sacrifice. It changed Max in a way nobody understood.

So Max never gave Omega an answer. She never kicked him out and he never left.

For once, she had a choice. And for once, she was satisfied with the one she made.

* * *

**So I hope you guys enjoyed it. I know the tone at the end is a bit different from the tone at the beginning, but I hope it still fits.  
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**Again, it's been a good run. Thank you all so much for your reviews, for your patience, and just for reading this. I cannot thank you enough for your support.**

**Until next time,**

**95**


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